What’s New
Former Representative Matt Gaetz‘s wife, Ginger Gaetz, has stood by her husband throughout the investigation by the House Ethics Committee.
Why It Matters
The committee on Monday released its report into Gaetz, a Florida Republican who resigned from Congress last month after President-elect Donald Trump named him as his initial pick to lead the Justice Department. Amid scrutiny from both Democratic and Republican senators, in part due to the ethics committee investigation, Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration.
The report sheds new light on accusations that have followed Gaetz, popular among conservatives and a close Trump ally, for years. The allegations could hinder any future political moves by Gaetz, even though he has denied any wrongdoing and has not been criminally charged.
What to Know
Ginger Gaetz has continued to show support for the Congressman in recent days on social media, but she has not addressed the report’s findings directly.
In a brief post to X (formerly Twitter) after Gaetz withdrew himself from attorney general consideration, Ginger Gaetz wrote it is an “end of the era” and that “no one loves America more than this guy.”
On Saturday, she posted footage of Gaetz at Amfest, an event hosted by the conservative organization Turning Point USA. That same day, she praised Gaetz as the “ONLY Republican who didn’t take any PAC or lobby” money in a separate post.
The committee wrote that it found “substantial evidence” that Gaetz allegedly “regularly paid women for engaging in sexual activity with him,” in 2017 “engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl,” used or possessed illegal drugs and accepted gifts beyond what is “permissible,” among the report’s allegations.
Gaetz has maintained that he engaged in no wrongdoing and disputed the report in a series of social media posts.
“Giving funds to someone you are dating – that they didn’t ask for – and that isn’t ‘charged’ for sex is now prostitution?!? There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses,” Gaetz wrote.
Who is Matt Gaetz’s wife, Ginger Luckey?
Ginger Luckey Gaetz, 30, works as a manager for enterprise, innovation, partnerships and commercialization at accounting company KPMG, according to her LinkedIn profile. She previously worked at California-based food tech company Apeel Sciences. Luckey Gaetz graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and accounting.
Her older brother is Palmer Luckey, the founder of the virtual reality company Oculus VR. He has held fundraising events for Trump in the past.
The two met in March 2020 at a fundraising event at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. Gaetz proposed in December of that year. They got married in August 2021.
Has Matt Gaetz been charged?
Gaetz has not been criminally charged in the report. The Justice Department said earlier this year he would not be charged after the investigation closed, Gaetz’ attorneys said in February, reported NBC News.
The House Ethics Committee investigation is separate and cannot charge him criminally.
What People Are Saying
Representative Sean Casten, an Illinois Democrat, on CNN: “The House has to hold itself to a higher ethical standard if we’re to have the trust of the American people. We pushed for the release of this report because we want to make sure the House continues to hold itself to that standard.”
Ana Navarro-Cárdenas, co-host of The View, on X: “This report is beyond disturbing. It alleges criminal acts, including with a minor. And Gaetz is the guy Trump initially wanted to be his Attorney General. God help us.”
Political commentator Mehdi Hasan on X: “Imagine if Joe Biden in 2020 had, instead of Garland, nominated a guy accused by a House panel of doing illegal drugs & paying underage girls for sex. Just imagine the response – including from the media! But it’s Trump, so? He’ll face no political costs for nominating Gaetz.”
What Happens Next
Gaetz has not made any public announcements about whether he intends to run for office in the future.
He resigned from Congress after Trump said he was nominating him as attorney general and has said he will not return to Congress in January.
The post Matt Gaetz’s Wife Stood by Him Throughout Ethics Committee Probe appeared first on Newsweek.
