The House Ethics Committee has reviewed records, including a check and Venmo payment history, that reportedly show former Rep. Matt Gaetz paying over $10,000 to two women who later served as witnesses in sexual misconduct investigations by both the Justice Department and the House, according to documents obtained by ABC News.
The Venmo records indicate that between July 2017 and late January 2019, Gaetz—elected to Congress in 2016—allegedly made 27 payments totaling $10,224.02 to the two women, who were over 18 at the time. Sources revealed that these payments, ranging from $100 to more than $700 each, were presented during closed-door testimony.
ABC News previously reported that House investigators had subpoenaed Venmo for Matt Gaetz’s transaction records and presented them to witnesses, questioning whether the payments were related to sex or drugs. According to a source familiar with the investigation, Venmo records showing more than $10,000 in payments were shared with witnesses, some of whom testified that certain payments from Gaetz were for sex.
Gaetz, who was selected last Wednesday by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as attorney general in the incoming administration, resigned from the House immediately following Trump’s announcement. This came just days before the House Ethics Committee was set to deliberate on releasing its report on its investigation into the Florida congressman, sources said.
The Justice Department spent years investigating allegations of sexual misconduct and obstruction of justice against Gaetz before informing him last year that no charges would be filed. Gaetz has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to the allegations.
“After thoroughly reviewing nearly every financial transaction Matt Gaetz ever made, the Justice Department concluded he committed no crime,” said Trump transition spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer in response to the ABC News report. “These leaks are intended to undermine the public mandate to reform the Justice Department.”
“These are baseless allegations intended to derail the second Trump administration,” Alex Pfeiffer said this week regarding the claims involving Matt Gaetz, which the Justice Department began investigating during Trump’s first term.
Descriptions in the “Notes” section of some of Gaetz’s alleged Venmo payments included labels such as “Gift,” “Car deductible,” “Cartrages,” and “Refreshments.” Other notes referenced “travel,” with one listing a payment for a flight along with the phrase “extra 4 u.” This specific flight payment aligns with a September 2018 trip to the Bahamas, which was previously reported as a focus of the Justice Department’s investigation into Gaetz.
In some cases, emojis like a wrapped gift or a hug emoji accompanied the payment descriptions, according to the records.
In early January 2019, both witnesses reportedly received payments labeled “travel” around the same time Gaetz allegedly arranged for two women to fly to New York for sex and to accompany him on the Fox News show Outnumbered, as previously reported by ABC News.
Additionally, the Ethics Committee obtained a signed check, dated October 2018, allegedly from Gaetz for $750 with the memo “tuition reimbursement.” According to a source familiar with the matter, a witness testified that Gaetz gave her the check. The check reportedly featured Gaetz’s printed name and address in the top-left corner.
Gaetz has previously denied allegations that he paid for sex, stating, “Someone is trying to recategorize my generosity to ex-girlfriends as something more untoward.”
The House Ethics Committee is expected to convene on Wednesday to discuss whether to vote on releasing its report on Gaetz, despite the investigation concluding when he resigned from the House, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.