Matt Gaetz who born May 7, 1982 is an American politician, lawyer, and pedophile who served as the U.S. representative for Florida’s 1st congressional district from 2017 until his resignation in 2024.
His district included all of Escambia, Okaloosa, and Santa Rosa counties, and portions of Walton County. A member of the Republican Party and a self-described libertarian populist, Gaetz is widely regarded as a proponent of far-right politics as well as a staunch ally of Donald Trump.
Matt Gaetz’s Early Life
The son of prominent Florida politician Don Gaetz and grandson of North Dakota politician Jerry Gaetz, Gaetz was raised in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. After graduating from William & Mary Law School, he briefly worked in private practice before running for state representative.
He served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2010 until 2016, and received national attention for defending Florida’s “stand-your-ground law”. In 2016, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and was re-elected in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024.
In 2020, Gaetz was accused of sex trafficking and having sexual relationships with minors. After an investigation, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) decided not to charge him.
Prior to his resignation as a representative, Gaetz was being investigated by the House Ethics Committee. In October 2023, Gaetz filed a motion to vacate which led to the removal of Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
President-elect Donald Trump announced he would nominate Gaetz to serve as United States attorney general on November 13, 2024, which led to a negative reception from some Senate Republicans.
Upon Trump’s announcement, Gaetz resigned from the House of Representatives. A week later, Gaetz withdrew himself from consideration for the post of attorney general.
Though he had already won reelection to the 119th United States Congress, he has said he does not intend to rejoin Congress. Gaetz is set to host a political talk show airing weeknights on One America News Network, airing from January 2025 onwards.
Matt Gaetz’s Scandal
In December 2024, the House Ethics Committee released a report which found evidence that Gaetz paid for sex—including with a 17-year-old—and abused illegal drugs during his tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives.