House panel was told Gaetz paid two women $10,000, in part for sex

House Ethics Committee investigators probing sexual misconduct allegations against former congressman Matt Gaetz obtained records showing that he paid more than $10,000 to two women who testified before the committee, according to a person familiar with the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive material.

The records that were exhibited during closed-door testimony displayed 27 PayPal and Venmo payments disbursed between July 2017 and January 2019 totaling over $10,000 paid to the two witnesses, that person said. Some payments were for sex, the witnesses testified to the committee. ABC News first reported on the exhibits.

The news came as the House Ethics Committee declined to release its report on sexual misconduct allegations against Gaetz (R-Florida) after a closed-door meeting Wednesday, and as President-elect Donald Trump’s embattled attorney general pick attempted to sell himself on Capitol Hill to skeptical GOP senators.

“There was not an agreement by the committee to release the report,” said Rep. Michael Guest (R-Mississippi), the committee’s chair.

The investigation centers on whether Gaetz paid for sex with a 17-year-old at drug-fueled parties while he was serving in Congress. Gaetz, who denies the charges, resigned last week, shortly before the committee was expected to deliberate on whether to release the report.

The committee faces intensifying pressure from Democrats, as well as some Republicans, to release its findings on Gaetz, who faces a tough road to confirmation after being tapped to lead the Justice Department. But Trump’s allies and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) have said it would be inappropriate to release it.

Two House Democrats are forcing the House to consider the matter anyway. Rep. Steve Cohen (Tennessee) introduced a resolution that would force the House Ethics Committee to preserve all documents in its now-ceased investigation into Gaetz, while Rep. Sean Casten (Illinois) said he wants the House to require the committee to release its report.

“Ethics has their power to get their act together five minutes ago. Five minutes from now, I do not know what they are going to do,” he said. “What I know at this point is that we cannot trust the Ethics Committee to do the ethically correct thing.”

Both motions were filed under privilege Wednesday, meaning the House must vote on them in the next 48 legislative hours.

The votes could happen as soon as Thursday or when the House returns from its Thanksgiving recess Dec. 3.

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have also requested that files related to the FBI’s investigation of Gaetz be included in the confirmation hearing.

A spokesman for the Trump transition defended Gaetz. “The Justice Department received access to roughly every financial transaction Matt Gaetz ever undertook and came to the conclusion that he committed no crime,” Alex Pfeiffer, a Trump transition spokesman, said in a statement.

“These leaks are meant to undermine the mandate from the people to reform the Justice Department,” he said.

The Justice Department closed its sex trafficking investigation without ever charging Gaetz.

On Wednesday, Vice President-elect JD Vance attempted to shore up Gaetz’s imperiled path to running the Justice Department, working to convince senators that he deserves a confirmation hearing.

Republican senators on the Judiciary Committee, which will process Gaetz’s nomination, met with the former congressman Wednesday morning alongside the incoming vice president. Vance posted a warning to them on social media Wednesday, saying that the lawmakers owe their majority to Trump’s electoral “coattails.”

“He deserves a cabinet that is loyal to the agenda he was elected to implement,” Vance wrote.

The first meeting of the morning was with the outgoing top Republican of the committee, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Graham exited the meeting defiant, insisting that the process to confirm Gaetz is becoming “a lynch mob.”

“I’m not going to be part of a process that leaks information that shouldn’t be leaked. I’m not going to legitimize the process to destroy the man because people don’t like his politics,” Graham said. “He will be held to account in the confirmation process. He deserves a chance to make his argument why he should be attorney general.”

Some Republicans have expressed doubt that Gaetz could be confirmed as attorney general in part because of the allegations he faces – as well as the long list of Republican enemies he made when he orchestrated the ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) last year.

“I think it’s an extremely difficult path. In fact, I just don’t see a path forward at this point,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), a Trump ally who has feuded with Gaetz in the past. “But he has a right to push as hard as he wants to, and if he wants a hearing on it, that’s between him and the president.”

Senate Republicans, including the incoming chair of the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Chuck Grassley (Iowa), have said they want access to the House Ethics Committee report. They have said that if they do not obtain it, they plan to call witnesses to the investigation to testify, suggesting the hearing could become a divisive spectacle.

But Gaetz, a combative MAGA warrior who has never shied away from the media, has told senators he wants the chance to make his case in public.

“The hearing is an opportunity for him to, under oath, in front of everybody, to walk through it,” said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), after leaving a meeting with him. “So, I mean, it’s, that’s why I think it’s a great opportunity for him.”

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a member of the panel, said he thinks Gaetz is aware his confirmation hearing would be like “Kavanaugh on steroids,” a reference to the three-day proceedings in which an emotional Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh angrily defended himself from an accusation that he assaulted a girl while in high school.

“He’s a smart guy, I’m sure he realizes that,” Cornyn said.

Gaetz did not get into the specifics of the allegations he faces, senators said, but insisted that they are false and reminded them that the Justice Department never charged him with a crime after investigating the matter.

“He expressed confidence that what is before the committee are a series of false accusations,” said Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah). Lee said Gaetz is making the case to Senate Republicans that he deserves a confirmation hearing.

The president-elect remains behind the choice. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), who traveled on Trump’s plane with him Tuesday, said Trump did not lobby senators who were there to support Gaetz but did make it clear he hopes he will be confirmed.

“Trump said something like, ‘Gee, I really want to get that done,’ when Gaetz was brought up, and called him a ‘good guy,’ ” Cramer said.

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Paul Kane contributed to this report.