A woman testified in front of the House Ethics Committee that she saw Matt Gaetz have sex with a minor, according to her lawyer.
Attorney Joel Leppard represents two women who gave closed-door testimony in the summer to the committee probing President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial pick for attorney general, ABC first reported.
“My client testified to the House Ethics Committee that she witnessed Matt Gaetz having sex with a minor,” Leppard told the outlet.
“As the Senate considers former Rep. Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general, several questions demand answers,” Leppard said. “What if multiple credible witnesses provided evidence of behavior that would constitute serious criminal violations?”
He added that the report should be released for “transparency.”
The committee had been investigating allegations that Gaetz may have “engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct,” according to CNN.
Gaetz denies any wrongdoing, including ever having sex with a minor or paying for sex.
The Independent has contacted Gaetz’s representatives for comment.
The committee’s investigation into Gaetz was dropped following his resignation from the House on Wednesday, which meant he was no longer under their jurisdiction.
The DOJ dropped a separate investigation into Gaetz last year and did not pursue criminal charges against him.
Responding to the latest allegation, a spokesperson for Gaetz told CNN: “Merrick Garland’s DOJ cleared Matt Gaetz and didn’t charge him.”
Speaker Mike Johnson has said that he will request that the committee does not release the report into the allegations.
Asked if he thinks the report should come out, Johnson told reporters: “I do not. No, I think it’s a terrible breach of protocol.”
“The rules of the house have always been that a former member is beyond the jurisdiction of the ethics committee, and so I don’t think that’s relevant,” he added.
The nomination of Gaetz to serve as Trump’s top lawyer is facing an “uphill climb,” according to GOP senators.
This is despite the fact that Republicans will hold the majority in the upper chamber with 53 seats come January.
While Gaetz will get an opportunity to make his argument for why he should lead the Department of Justice, his confirmation hearings may pose a serious challenge for the Trump ally.
