Matt Gaetz ethics report says his drug use and sex with a minor violated state laws
Matt Gaetz ethics report says his drug use and sex with a minor violated state laws
A report by the House Ethics Committee found former Rep. Matt Gaetz paid multiple women, including a 17-year-old girl, for sex.
From the report: “The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress.”
More: “The record overwhelmingly suggests that Representative Gaetz had sex with multiple women at a 2017 Florida party, including the then-17-year-old, for which they were paid… Victim A recalled receiving $400 in cash from Representative Gaetz that evening, which she understood to be payment for sex. At the time, she had just completed her junior year of high school. Victim A said that she did not inform Representative Gaetz that she was under 18 at the time, nor did he ask her age.”
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Pretty sure both of those things violate federal laws too. Not that laws matter with Donvict in charge.
They didn't matter with Garland in charge and that's at least as big of a problem. Whoever manages to remove Trump from office needs to finally hold the whole criminal apparatus that has propped up the Republican party for decades accountable.
How do you hold the corrupt Supreme Court accountable?
With a silencer - or so I'm told. I wouldn't know.
You set a shocking precedent and then write into law that it can never be done again. Pretty much play the Republican game except better. In fact, this could fix pretty much everything. Enact incredible, and sometimes extremely grey, choices and decisions to repair things. Then make sure it could never legally happen again.
The person or people doing this would have to immediately step down. I would prefer if they took a hit for the team to really cement the sacrifice. Alas, we do not live in that sort of world.
The Diana Ross Court
Supremer Court?
Ultimate Supremest Top Court of Best Judges and No Backsies.
Charge them for their criminal conduct (e.g. taking bribes), arrest and jail them, impeach them, convict them, and finally imprison them. After that, we should think about reforming the way we select our federal judges and adding seats to different benches.
The official answer is a constitutional amendment. It seems wild to me that these ever had a chance of passing.
I dont think there are comparable federal laws for rape. Human trafficking and wire fraud, sure but rape is dependant on the laws of the state. The Federal case was hampered by the lack of credible witnesses. The state of Florida will do nothing because DeSantis and Rapey are good friends.
Not many people seem to know about the lack of witnesses and think dropping the case was garden variety corruption.
But! The (former) minor in question and his good buddy Joel have both been happily singing their little hearts out. Wish they had sung early enough to nail him, but I'm happy enough they finally talked. And boy did a bunch of other people talk!
Joel stole millions of dollars while being tax collector of a Florida county. What did he do with that money. He, and his good friend Matt used it as fuel for coke and sex parties. So he rolled on Matt. He's now in jail for federal fraud charges.
The committee said it did not find sufficient evidence Gaetz violated the federal sex trafficking statute because although he transported women across state lines for the purpose of sex, those women were all 18 or older at the time.
What exactly is the purpose of that federal sex trafficking law if it doesn't apply in this case!?
That's a trafficking charge. But, as far as I know, the Feds had a problem with credible witnesses. The victim is now working as a porn star. The DOJ thought that they shouldn't prosecute a case they would lose.
Sex trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purposes of a commercial sex act, in which the commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age (22 USC § 7102).
None of that applies here.
A lot of that applies here.
OK. Exactly which part. Remember, we're talking law here, not making shit up.
https://d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net/static/2024/12/Committee-Report.pdf
commercial sex act
Yep.
induced by force, fraud, or coercion
Nope.
or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years
That "or" is doing some heavy lifting. What a muddy law. And I'm sure it was intended that way.
The article I read earlier said he broke federal laws too. Yet I keep seeing the headline worded this way, seemingly to soften the truth. So fucking disgusting, this country
The age of consent is 18 in only 10 states, Florida being one of them. And I'm certain you can't be nailed for past drug use. Also, they cleared him on interstate sex trafficking.
So what can we nail him for? Florida can surely proceed with statutory rape. Not sure what else. How about hiring prostitutes?
Yeah, so basically because he kept his statutory rape to a single state, and that states corrupt governor will never prosecute him then he gets away with it. Ron DeSantis needs to be fired. Preferably out of a cannon into the sun.
Well, yeah? So back to the original question, what else can he be nailed for?
In theory or in practice? In theory I'm sure a whole laundry list. In practice absolutely nothing because literally everyone in a position to do something is either corrupt or incompetent.