Former Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL), facing serious allegations outlined in a recent House Ethics Committee report, has found an unlikely ally in another disgraced ex-congressman, George Santos (R-NY). Santos, expelled from Congress earlier this year after multiple scandals, took to X (formerly Twitter) to passionately defend Gaetz and criticize the Ethics Committee.
“Is Matt Gaetz a choir boy? NO! Is he a bad person? NO!” Santos declared. He accused the committee of bias, writing, “Is the ‘ethics’ report biased and mental to smear him? YES! I want to call for a special counsel to start an investigation on all 435 members of the house of the 119th Congress and watch it all come down in flames!
Cheats, insider traders, DUIs, DWIs, prostitution, and, illegal drug consumption are all some of the commonalities across the board in BOTH parties in the US House of Representatives.” Santos didn’t stop there, labeling the Ethics Committee as “lords sitting on an altar with pointy hats on” and calling its members hypocrites.
The scathing report, released Monday, details “substantial evidence” that Gaetz engaged in behavior violating House rules, state and federal laws, and standards of conduct. Allegations include paying women for sexual activities, statutory rape, illicit drug use, obstruction of Congress, and more.
Despite these findings, Gaetz, a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump, has vehemently denied the accusations, asserting he is the victim of a political smear campaign. Trump, who had previously considered Gaetz for attorney general, ultimately withdrew the nomination due to a lack of support from Senate Republicans.
Santos, who first won the election in 2020, has his own history with the Ethics Committee. Before being expelled in a rare bipartisan vote, he faced accusations ranging from fabricating his personal and professional background to campaign finance violations and federal fraud charges. Interestingly, Gaetz publicly defended Santos during that period, a gesture Santos appears to be returning.
This latest development highlights the increasingly polarized and controversial nature of congressional ethics enforcement. While Gaetz remains defiant in the face of damning allegations, Santos’ fiery defense underscores the deep divisions and mutual support networks within the ranks of embattled lawmakers. Whether these defenses resonate with the public or Congress remains to be seen, as the fallout continues to unfold.