A recently released House Ethics Committee report targeting former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz is coming under scrutiny after critics, including Federalist writer Mollie Hemingway, unearthed apparent inaccuracies that cast doubt on its findings. The 37-page report, which accuses Gaetz of drug use and engaging in sеxual misconduct with a minor, was released after Gaetz resigned his seat to pursue a nomination as U.S. attorney general under President-elect Trump. The timing of its release and its controversial conclusions have raised red flags.
One of the most significant challenges to the report comes from Chris Dorworth, a former associate of Gaetz mentioned in the investigation. Dorworth’s lawyer issued a detailed rebuttal, identifying three “demonstrably false statements” in the report. Among the claims refuted is the assertion that Gaetz invited individuals to Dorworth’s home on July 15, 2017. The committee cited a gate log and deposition transcripts as evidence, but neither directly implicated Gaetz. Furthermore, the lawyer noted that the property’s entry records, which require visitors to present identification, show no record of Gaetz being on-site that night.
Another key error highlighted by Dorworth’s legal team involves the claim that Dorworth was “confronted with cell phone records” proving his presence at the residence during the alleged party. The lawyer clarified that no such confrontation occurred and that the records were marked “Attorneys’ Eyes Only,” making their inclusion in the report a breach of protocol.
A third inconsistency involves the Ethics Committee’s statement that Dorworth failed to respond to requests for additional testimony. In fact, Dorworth reportedly agreed to provide clarification on September 6, 2024, but received no response from the committee. Hemingway seized on these discrepancies, calling the committee’s actions “flat out lying” in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
These revelations follow previous reporting by Hemingway, who noted that two key witnesses relied on by the committee were also discredited during a Justice Department investigation that cleared Gaetz of criminal wrongdoing in 2022.
Meanwhile, Gaetz has transitioned into a new role as a primetime anchor on One America News Network (OAN). This position gives him a prominent platform in the conservative media landscape. “We’ve been big fans of Matt Gaetz from day one,” OAN anchor Dan Ball said, calling the partnership a step forward for the network.
The growing list of discrepancies and the political timing of the report’s release have fueled skepticism about its validity, raising questions about whether the Ethics Committee itself should face scrutiny.
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