Matt Gaetz Accused of Sending Over $10,000 to Women via Venmo and PayPal Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations

Matt Gaetz, the former Republican congressman and President-elect Donald Trump‘s nominee for attorney general, is facing intense scrutiny following allegations that he made numerous payments to women who later became witnesses in sexual misconduct investigations. According to a report, Gaetz allegedly sent more than $10,000 to these women through Venmo and PayPal between July 2017 and January 2019, when he was a newly elected representative.

The payments, totaling $10,224.02, were documented in records obtained by ABC News and included descriptive memos such as “being awesome,” “being my friend,” and various other notes like “car deductible,” “gift,” “refreshments,” and “travel.” Some of these transactions appear to be linked to a September 2018 trip to the Bahamas and another trip to New York in early January 2019, which were part of the Justice Department’s investigation into Gaetz.

The House Ethics Committee, which had been investigating these allegations, obtained these records during closed-door testimony. However, the investigation effectively ended when Gaetz resigned from his House seat last week. Despite the allegations, Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, suggesting that his generosity to ex-girlfriends was being misinterpreted.

The Justice Department, which had access to Gaetz’s financial transactions, did not charge him with any crime. Trump transition spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer defended Gaetz, stating that the leaks were intended to undermine the mandate to reform the Justice Department.

The allegations against Gaetz are further complicated by the involvement of his former ally, Joel Greenberg, who pleaded guilty to six federal crimes, including underage sex trafficking, in May 2021. Greenberg is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence and admitted to introducing a minor to other adult men who engaged in commercial sex acts with her.