A scathing U.S. House ethics report on former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz is under scrutiny after a critic claimed to have uncovered “staggering lies” regarding allegations of underage sex and misconduct. The investigation into Gaetz, launched in 2017 by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), was released last week following Gaetz’s resignation from Congress while being considered for the role of U.S. attorney general in President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration.
Explosive allegations of Gaetz’s alleged drug use and sexual involvement with a 17-year-old surfaced in the mainstream media, creating a political firestorm that ultimately led Gaetz to withdraw his nomination. However, Mollie Hemingway of The Federalist has challenged the report’s findings, arguing that questionable inclusions and inconsistencies may have compromised its conclusions. Her investigation casts doubt on the validity of the claims, suggesting that key details may have been misrepresented or exaggerated.
According to the Western Journal, an associate of Gaetz stated that the mentions of him in the report are incorrect. “At the outset, I’ll note the release of your committee’s report is bizarre, Congressman Gaetz is no longer subject to your jurisdiction, and the precedential effect of the release of this report cannot be overstated,” a lawyer for Chris Dorworth, the man mentioned, wrote to House Ethics Committee Chair Michael Guest (R-MS). The report included “three demonstrably false statements within your report,” the letter goes on to say.
“Mr. Dorworth did not and has never believed that Representative Gaetz invited people to his house on July 15, 2017,” the letter stated. “To support your claim that Gaetz ‘invited’ people to my client’s home, you cite, in footnote 97, a gate log that doesn’t include Gaetz’s name on it and reference an affidavit and deposition transcripts that say nothing about Gaetz inviting anyone to my client’s home.” Furthermore, the letter goes on, “Mr. Dorworth’s deposition transcript does not support this statement in your report, and it should be retracted immediately.”
Dorworth’s testimony in the Ethics report confirms that Gaetz was at his home that night, without inviting any extra guests, which is a key piece of information. Dorworth’s lawyer notes further that the Florida compound where his client lives requires non-residents “to present a driver’s license before entering, and entry records are maintained.” No evidence was found of Gaetz being on the property that night, the report said.
Another discrepancy is the fact that “Mr. Dorworth was deposed and confronted with cell phone records showing that he was, in fact, at his residence during the party,” the letter states. “As an attendee at Mr. Dorworth’s deposition, I can assure you he was never ‘confronted with any cell phone records,’” adding that the records “were deemed ‘Attorneys Eyes Only’ at the time of Mr. Dorworth’s deposition” and that he was “mortified that the Committee on Ethics would include such a ridiculous conclusion” in its report.
A third point of contention is whether the committee adequately addressed Dorworth’s agreement to testify a second time, clarifying his whereabouts and the timeline of the night in question. “The Committee requested, through counsel, that Mr. Dorworth clarify his testimony regarding his whereabouts on the evening of July 15, 2017; his counsel did not respond,” the committee’s report states. Dorworth’s lawyer claims that his client contacted the committee on September 6, 2024, agreeing to appear again, but he did not receive a response.
“Interesting. The House ‘Ethics’ Committee is caught here just flat out lying about three things in its report on Matt Gaetz. (In addition to all the other alleged falsehoods),” Hemingway noted in an X repost of the letter. These three discrepancies add to earlier findings by The Federalist editor-in-chief in November, when she reported that two of the witnesses cited in the report were the same individuals interviewed by the Justice Department before it decided to close its investigation into Gaetz in 2022.
Interesting. The House “Ethics” Committee is caught here just flat out lying about three things in its report on Matt Gaetz. (In addition to all the other alleged falsehoods) https://t.co/OwYyBRZS8F
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) December 24, 2024
Gaetz, meanwhile, has started a new role at One America News Network, where he will host his own primetime show, a position that gives him significant influence in the conservative media landscape to cover the developments in Washington. “We’ve been big fans of Matt Gaetz from day one. We admire his leadership and authenticity, and we’re confident he’ll really connect with our viewers. It’s an exciting partnership that’s going to take OAN to the next level,” OAN anchor Dan Ball said in a statement announcing the news earlier this month.