The House Ethics Committee investigating Rep. Matt Gaetz has reached out to an ex-girlfriend who was a key witness in the federal investigation into the Florida lawmaker, according to a source familiar with the ethics probe. Gaetz said in a statement to CNN that the Ethics Committee investigation is “payback” for Gaetz’s efforts to oust Kevin McCarthy, the former speaker of the house, and that he sees “through this sham and the American people will too.”The Ethics Committee declined to comment. “I can confirm that I have filed a Notice Of Representation of a potential witness with the US House Ethic’s Committee pertaining to an ongoing investigation by the committee,” Florida defense attorney Tim Jansen, who is the ex-girlfriend’s lawyer, told CNN in a statement. She is not expected to voluntarily cooperate with the Ethics probe. But McCarthy has repeatedly denounced those accusations and has said Gaetz worked to oust the former speaker because of the ethics probe.

Source: CNN February 02, 2024 01:31 UTC