Matt Gaetz unveiled an astonishing comeback plan to cause chaos and embarrassment to his enemies Wednesday–hours after lawmakers voted to release a report on allegations he had sex with underage girls.
The firebrand conservative said he is considering taking his seat in the House of Representatives on Jan. 3 and moving to expose any lawmaker who has used congressional funds to pay off victims of sexual misconduct.
Gaetz had resigned from his current House seat last month during an uphill battle to become President-elect Donald Trump’s next attorney general, and had indicated he would not take up his seat in the new Congress.
But he told the Beast he is “seriously considering” briefly returning on the first day of the new 119th Congress, a move he suggests he is legally entitled to make, because he cannot resign from the new Congress until it is formed.
Someone suggested the following plan to me:
1. Show up 1/3/2025 to congress
2. Participate in Speaker election (I was elected to the 119th Congress, after all…)
3. Take the oath
4. File a privileged motion to expose every “me too” settlement paid using public funds (even of…— Former Congressman Matt Gaetz (@FmrRepMattGaetz) December 18, 2024
In his plan, he would then force a vote on a resolution to rip the lid off secretive “Me Too” settlements made by current and former lawmakers using taxpayer dollars.
The Florida politician—who abruptly resigned in November after being tapped as Trump’s initial attorney general nominee before taking himself out of the running—is lashing out because the House Ethics Committee secretly voted to release the findings of its three-year investigation into whether Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and drug use with minors, or paid women for sex. The vote happened earlier this month and was revealed Wednesday.
Gaetz has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, claiming that the reopening of the ethics probe was politically motivated. He pointed to the Department of Justice, which dropped its investigation without bringing charges.
He again on Wednesday denied any criminal wrongdoing in a social media posting, but admitted, “It’s embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life. I live a different life now.”
Part of the agenda on Jan. 3 is to take a floor vote on whether Speaker Mike Johnson will retain his power as the chamber’s No. 1 leader. A number of conservatives—including Johnson—have pushed back on releasing the report, arguing that it breaks precedent to make public ethics reports on a former member.
But Johnson’s power is suddenly on shaky ground. Johnson’s standing was much stronger following Trump’s presidential election victory in November. Now, a number of House Republicans tell the Beast, critics appear increasingly noncommittal to backing Johnson, who has held the job since Oct. 25, 2023. He got it when Gaetz nearly singlehandedly forced Kevin McCarthy out of the top post.
There is some ambiguity over whether Gaetz can be sworn in following his resignation, despite winning his race to serve in the new Congress that convenes on Jan 3. When he resigned, he submitted a letter stating he would not serve out the remainder of his term, or return in the new year.
After removing himself from consideration for AG — with Gaetz facing difficulties winning over moderate GOP senators despite Trump putting on a full-court press in his favor—he announced he will anchor a show on the conservative One America News Network.
Gaetz is also using the ethics panel’s decision to release its findings against him as a fundraising opportunity, as the Daily Beast previously reported. After flaming out in his bid to lead the Department of Justice, Gaetz hinted that he might run for governor in 2026.
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DAILY BEAST
