Matt Gaetz paid witnesses in House ethics investigation more than $10,000 over Venmo

Matt Gaetz paid over $10,000 to two women who were witnesses in both the House and the Department of Justice investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct against him, according to a report from ABC News on Monday.

Between 2017-2019, Gaetz made 27 separate Venmo payments ranging from $100 to $700 to the two witnesses for a combined sum of $10,224.02, according to documents obtained by ABC News.

A source told ABC News that the witnesses confirmed some of the Venmo payments from Gaetz were for sex. The payments were made while the Florida Republican was a member of Congress.

Gaetz, who was tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as attorney general, resigned from the House last week, just days before the House Ethics Committee was set to release the findings of an investigation into allegations made against him, including sex trafficking and sex with a minor. 

The Department of Justice also carried out a years-long investigation into Gaetz but decided last year not to pursue charges. Gaetz has denied all allegations against him.

Some of the Venmo payments made to the women included descriptions like “Car deductible,” “Gift,” and “Refreshment,” the records show. In January 2019, both women received a payment for over $100 with the description “Travel,” which is around the same time Gaetz reportedly paid for two women to fly to New York for sex, ABC News reported earlier this week. 

Trump spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer told ABC News that the report includes “baseless allegations intended to derail the second Trump administration.”  

“The Justice Department received access to roughly every financial transaction Matt Gaetz ever undertook and came to the conclusion that he committed no crime. These leaks are meant to undermine the mandate from the people to reform the Justice Department,” Pfeiffer said.