- The House Ethics Committee has reached out to new witnesses and is conducting interviews as part of its intensified probe into Representative Matt Gaetz.
- Gaetz responded to the developments, mocking the Ethics Committee’s interest in trading stocks and calling them “unusual whales.”
- The probe was reopened last year after initially being deferred by the Justice Department, which did not charge Gaetz. He believes the Ethics Committee is targeting him as a “rabble-rouser” challenging the status quo.
Additional Coverage:
The House ethics probe into Representative Matt Gaetz continues to intensify, with the committee recently reaching out to multiple new witnesses as part of its ongoing investigation. The Republican-led House Ethics Committee has expanded its contact with individuals linked to the initial Justice Department investigation into Gaetz and has begun conducting interviews. The probe into Gaetz’s conduct was reopened last July after the Ethics Committee initially deferred its investigation at the request of the Justice Department, which ultimately did not charge Gaetz in 2023.
In response to these developments, Gaetz made a statement to ABC News, saying it is “great to see the Ethics Committee has interests beyond trading stocks” and calling them “unusual whales.” Members of the Ethics Committee declined to comment on the probe.
Fritz Scheller, Joel Greenberg’s attorney, did not confirm or deny whether he has been in contact with the House Ethics Committee. Greenberg, a close friend of Gaetz, was sentenced to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to federal charges related to wire fraud and sex trafficking a minor.
When the probe was reopened in July, Gaetz criticized the Ethics Committee for “trying to weaponize their process.” He argued that he had been cleared by the Department of Justice and the FBI, who had investigated his life for years. Gaetz believes the Ethics Committee is targeting him because he is a “rabble-rouser” who challenges the status quo on debt and spending.
The news of the expanded probe into Gaetz comes after Representative George Santos was voted out of Congress following an Ethics Committee report that accused him of using his political office to defraud victims. Since concluding the Santos investigation, the Ethics Committee has shifted its focus to Gaetz. It is expected to conduct more interviews and request documents related to the probe in the coming weeks.
Gaetz continues to deny any wrongdoing. The Justice Department informed him last February that it would not bring charges against him following a yearslong sex-trafficking investigation.