CNN
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Two women who claim they were paid for sex by former Rep. Matt Gaetz provided House ethics investigators with “numerous” photos related to time they spent with the Florida Republican, a lawyer for the women said Tuesday, including from an alleged 2019 trip to New York.
The women said they were paid by the former congressman for sex on that trip, during which they also joined Gaetz at a Fox News studio while he filmed a TV appearance, their attorney Joel Leppard told CNN’s Erin Burnett on “OutFront.” Gaetz allegedly covered the women’s travel costs as well, Leppard said.
The women additionally provided the House Ethics Committee with selfies Gaetz is said to have sent them, according to their lawyer. They also testified that they sent nude photos to Gaetz, sometimes at his request, Leppard said.
Gaetz was recently tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as his attorney general and resigned from Congress last week, effectively ending the ethics probe into him. The panel had investigated allegations of misconduct against Gaetz, including “sexual misconduct and illicit drug use,” and is considering whether to release a report on its findings.
Asked by the committee whether they ever felt pressured by Gaetz, Leppard said one of his clients testified that she felt the need to “please” the then-congressman before attending an electronic music show during the New York visit.
CNN has reached out to Gaetz for comment. Gaetz has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Leppard’s account of the testimony provides more insight into the evidence the House committee collected in its probe, which was conducted in addition to a criminal investigation by the Justice Department. Federal prosecutors declined to charge Gaetz – a decision the former congressman has pointed to as he has vehemently denied the accusations, which also include the claim that he had sex with a then-underage woman who went on to testify in both investigations.
“Merrick Garland’s DOJ cleared Matt Gaetz and didn’t charge him,” a spokesperson for Gaetz told CNN last week.
As the Senate prepares to formally consider Gaetz for the attorney general role, Democrats and some Republicans are calling for access to the House panel’s report. After Gaetz abruptly resigned from Congress upon Trump’s selection announcement, the committee delayed plans to meet to discuss the report’s release and is next scheduled to meet Wednesday. House Mike Speaker Johnson, who in the past has said he will stay out of the ethics committee’s business, has expressed opposition to the release of the report.
Leppard noted the House panel heard testimony from several other witnesses.
“The evidence that the House has, I would presume, is overwhelming, because my clients were just two of the other witnesses, and there are very important witnesses who have yet to come out and give a preview of what the House Ethics Committee results might show,” he said.
House investigators, according to the lawyer, asked the two women about records they had obtained showing payments, largely transmitted electronically, allegedly made to them by Gaetz. Leppard said the records showed one of his clients was paid more than $6,000 by the congressman and the other more than $4,000.
“What I’m telling you is just a fraction of the evidence that’s available, of the thousands of documents” the House obtained, Leppard said.
CNN’s Annie Grayer contributed to this report.
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