Former GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida and two women were interviewed by the House Ethics Committee about President-elect Donald Trump. trump's choice An attorney for the women told CBS News that in his bid to be attorney general, Gaetz testified that Gaetz paid them directly and repeatedly in Venmo transactions “for sex” and that those transactions were obtained by the committee. The attorney, Joel LePard, also said that the women testified that Gaetz inquired in text messages about “party favors” and “vitamins” at upcoming parties, which was interpreted as code for drugs.
LePard, who lives in Orlando, said his clients testified that they attended parties from 2017 to January 2019 where Gaetz was present and that sex and drug use occurred. In an interview Monday with CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett, LePard said that one of his clients testified before the House Ethics Committee that he saw Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old girl at a game table at a party in July 2017. Gaetz was sworn into Congress in January 2017, so the women allege the incidents occurred while he was a member of the House.
Trump transition team officials did not respond to requests for comment Monday. A source familiar with Gaetz's legal situation questioned the women's credibility and argued that if that were the case, their recollections would not have been able to withstand cross-examination in court.
Gaetz, who has denied all wrongdoing, including sex with a minor, has criticized the committee's investigation into him and called testimony about him on Thursday a “false smear.”
Gaetz's conduct was also investigated by federal prosecutors, but they ended the investigation in 2023 without filing charges,
As the House Ethics Committee is considering whether to release its report, which examined allegations of Gaetz's sexual misconduct, illegal drug use and involvement in bribery, Leppard said his client Want the public to know that they are telling the truth.
One of his clients said in a text to Leppard, “'No matter how many times he tries to distract from the truth, the public deserves to know that what we all experienced was real and really happened.'”
LePard told Garrett, “My clients are not political; they didn't vote in the last two elections – they don't care either way.” “But they want the public to know they are not lying. They have not come forward voluntarily – they have never spoken to anyone without the force of a legal subpoena.”
He added, “And if the American people knew, they could decide whether this is the person they want to be the next attorney general.”
One of Lepard's clients is one of at least four women who have told the committee they were paid to attend parties involving drugs and sex where Gaetz was present, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. . Her account corroborates the testimony of the then-minor, who told the committee that she had sexual relations with Gaetz when she was 17 years old.
At the July 2017 party where his client alleged this happened, Lepard said he and others were at the party “to provide entertainment, to be happy, to be lively, and to provide sexual favors to the gentlemen present.”
“The expectation was that they would have sexual intercourse,” LePard said as his clients testified about these parties. “He testified to the House that – and the House actually had Representative Gaetz's Venmo transactions, PayPal transactions.”
LePard said the House panel asked the women about Gaetz's PayPal and Venmo transactions.
“'What was it for? What was it for,'” LePard said his customers were asked.
“It was for sex,” he replied. “'It was for sex. It was for sex.'”
Lepard said the payments were typically between $200 and $500 at a time.
He said his clients also testified that sometimes, someone other than Gaetz would make payments on their behalf. According to Leppard, this happened on at least one occasion. nestor galbanA Cuban immigrant who is close to Gaetz and whom Gaetz calls his “son”. He said other payments on Gaetz's behalf were made by Gaetz associates joel greenbergWho was convicted of sex trafficking of a minor and other crimes in 2022.
LePard said that his client, who testified that she saw Gaetz have sex with a 17-year-old girl, also told the panel that she did not believe Gaetz knew her age at the time.
“At least my client testified that he did not know her age,” Lepard said.
Lepard's client testified that she knew the 17-year-old girl and her age, and said the two had attended high school together.
His client testified that she had sex with Gaetz after he arrived at a July 2017 house party. Later at the party, her client testified, she was hanging out when she saw Gaetz having sex with her 17-year-old friend in front of the gaming table.
LePard said one of his clients provided the committee with more than 100 texts related to Gaetz. Often, LePard said, texts provided by his client would indicate that Gaetz would need to be reminded to pay.
“There were a lot of messages requesting payment, like, 'Hey, when are you going to pay me?'” Lepard said. “Or, 'I don't want to be that girl, but can you please go ahead and pay me what we agreed upon?' Text messages along those lines. The texts that had the House most interested were Representative Gaetz requesting that the drugs be present.”
“So, in my work as a criminal defense attorney, no one ever requests, 'Can you please get me some drugs?'” LePard said. “They usually use code words. And so Representative Gaetz would use words like, 'Can you make sure the party's present?' Or, 'Who's in charge of the party side?' He used the term 'party favor corn' when he was referring to someone else who was bringing party favors, I believe he also used the term 'vitamins'.
Still, Lepard's clients told the House panel that they could not recall specifically whether they saw Gaetz use marijuana or other drugs.
The texts also included “a lot of positive emojis,” such as hearts, and “positive statements” back and forth between Gaetz, his clients and others, Lepard said. Leppard described the relationship with Gaetz as a complex, but friendly one, and he also told Garrett that his client knew Gaetz's girlfriend at the time.
“At least one of my clients testified that, in a way, they were required to please Mr. Gaetz before they would go out and participate in his program. [Electronic Dance Music] Show,” Leppard said of an alleged occasion about which his client testified. “And that was something that was of particular interest to the House. Representative Gaetz's girlfriend messaged him, and he essentially took care of his duties, and afterward, they went to see his show.”
LePard said his clients are very upset and worried that if they testify publicly in the Senate or anywhere else, they will not be able to keep their jobs.
House Ethics Committee did planned to vote Its report was scheduled to be released on Friday, November 15, but the meeting was canceled after Trump announced his intention on Wednesday to Nominate GaetzAnd then a few hours later, the Florida Republican suddenly resigned from Congress. The panel is now set up Let's meet on Wednesdaytwo sources told CBS News.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said on friday He would “strongly request” that the House Ethics Committee stop reporting on its investigation of Gaetz. The committee has equal representation between Democrats and Republicans – five Democrats and five Republicans.
Democratic and Republican senators who will vote on Gaetz's confirmation as attorney general have said they want access to the ethics panel's report.