Republicans are clamoring to release the names of people on Capitol Hill who have been accused of sexual harassment.
The Context
“You know, Congress has paid over $17 million in hush money for sexual misconduct inside of the offices in these buildings,” Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky said this week at a congressional hearing.
“And what’s more is that was taxpayer money … There may be some on this dais, I mean, I’m for turning loose all of these records,” he added. “Who in here has had the taxpayer pay for their misconduct charges, the hush money? I bet there’s some over there, there may be some over here, I don’t know. But I do know it’s taxpayer money, and I do know not a single penny of it has been turning in as a campaign finance expense.”
AP
What To Know
Massie’s call came after former Republican U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida floated the idea of returning to Congress following the House Ethics Committee’s vote to release its report on Gaetz’s conduct.
The former congressman wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that he would “take the oath” to serve in the next Congress and then file “a privileged motion to expose every ‘me too’ settlement paid using public funds (even of former members).”
Several supporters of President-elect Donald Trump backed Gaetz and Massie’s calls to publicize the names of those on Capitol Hill who have been accused of sexual harassment or misconduct.
“Yes. I want to release the congressional sexual slush fund list,” Republican U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia wrote on X. “Tax payers should have never had to pay for that. Along with all the other garbage they should not have to pay for.”
Gaetz turned combative after allegations surfaced that he had paid several women for sex, including a 17-year-old girl.
Trump nominated Gaetz for attorney general, but the former representative withdrew from consideration days later, as questions swirled due to the allegations that he had been intimately involved with a minor. The House Ethics Committee released its report on Gaetz’s conduct earlier this week.
Among other things, the ethics panel’s report alleged that Gaetz “regularly” paid women for sex from 2017 to 2020 and that he engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old in 2017.
It also alleged that Gaetz “used or possessed illegal drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy, on multiple occasions” from 2017 to 2019.
The former Florida lawmaker is further accused of accepting gifts exceeding the amount that members of Congress are permitted to receive, and of having his chief of staff help a woman with whom he was sexually involved obtain a passport by falsely claiming to the State Department that she was a constituent.
Gaetz “knowingly and willfully” tried to obstruct the House Ethics Committee’s investigation into his conduct, the report said, and he “acted in a manner that reflects discreditably upon the House.”
What People Are Saying
The anonymous pro-Trump account, @catturd2, wrote on X: “Release the Names!”
What Comes Next
It’s unclear if Gaetz will return to Congress for the next session. As of this month, he’s slated to headline a prime-time TV show on the conservative One America News Network.
This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.
