Gaetz sent more than $10K in Venmo payments to 2 women who testified in the House probe, records show

The House Ethics Committee obtained records, including checks and Venmo payment records, that appear to show that Rep. Matt Gaetz paid more than $10,000 to two women who later became witnesses in sexual misconduct investigations conducted by the House and Justice Department, according to documents obtained by ABC News.

Venmo records show that between July 2017 and the end of January 2019, Gaetz – who was first elected in 2016 – allegedly made 27 Venmo payments totaling $10,224.02 to the two witnesses, who were over the age of 18.

The payments, which sources said were shown during closed-door testimony, ranged from $100 to more than $700 each.

ABC News previously reported that House investigators had subpoenaed Venmo for Gaetz’s records and had shown them to witnesses, asking if they were for sex or drugs. Venmo records totaling $10,000 in payments were shown to witnesses, who testified that some of the payments were from Gaetz and for sex, a source familiar with the investigation told ABC News.

Gaetz, who was tapped last Wednesday by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as attorney general in the incoming administration, resigned from the House immediately after Trump’s announcement, just days before the House Ethics Committee was to consider releasing a report on the investigation. to the Florida congressman, according to sources.

The Justice Department spent years investigating allegations of sexual misconduct against Gaetz, as well as obstruction of justice charges, before notifying Gaetz last year that he would not be charged. Gaetz has long denied wrongdoing in connection with the allegations under investigation by Congress and the Justice Department.

“The Department of Justice has gained access to approximately every financial transaction that Matt Gaetz has had and concluded that he did not commit a crime,” Trump transition spokesman Alex Pfeiffer said in response to the ABC News report. “These leaks are intended to undermine the mandate from the people to reform the Department of Justice.”

“These are frivolous allegations to undermine the Trump administration for the second time,” Pfeiffer said this week of the allegations involving Gaetz, who the Justice Department began investigating during the first Trump administration.

Descriptions in the “Notes” section for some of the alleged Venmo payments from Gaetz included labels such as “Gifts,” “Car Deductible,” “Cartrages,” and “Refreshments.” Other entries refer to “travel,” and one lists payment for flights and the words “extra 4 u.”

The alleged flight payments appear to be consistent with a September 2018 trip to the Bahamas, which ABC News previously reported was part of the Justice Department’s investigation into Gaetz.

In other payments, an emoji like a wrapped gift or a hug emoji was used, the records show.

Payment records also show that in early January 2019, the two witnesses received mirroring payments labeled “travel” at a time when Gaetz allegedly arranged for two women to fly to New York for sex and accompany them to the Fox News show “Outnumbered,” as reported by ABC Previous news.

The Ethics Committee also obtained a signed check for cash and dated October 2018, allegedly from Gaetz for $750, with a memo that read “tuition reimbursement.” Witnesses testified to the committee that Gaetz gave the check, according to a source familiar with the matter. Gaetz’s name is printed at the top left of the check along with his address.

Gaetz previously denied allegations that he paid for sex, saying that “someone is trying to recategorize my generosity to my ex-girlfriend as something more untoward.”

The House Ethics Committee is expected to meet on Wednesday and discuss the report on Gaetz and potentially vote on his release, despite the fact that the investigation ended when Gaetz resigned from the House, several sources told ABC News.