House Ethics Committee reaching out to witnesses in revived Matt Gaetz probe

Investigators from the House Ethics Committee have begun reaching out to witnesses as part of a recently revived investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, focused on allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, illicit drug use or other misconduct.

At least one witness in Florida told CNN they have spoken to investigators about the Republican congressman in recent weeks about alleged lobbying violations, and sources familiar with the Ethics Committee probe say other witnesses also have been contacted.

A source familiar with the House panel's work told CNN that the Justice Department's decision not to bring charges against Gaetz does not impact what the committee will and won't investigate. The committee plans to examine the same allegations they were looking into when they opened the investigation in 2021, the source told CNN.

The Ethics Committee, which at the time was controlled by Democrats, originally opened an investigation in 2021, publicly announcing that they were examining a range of allegations including that Gaetz violated sex trafficking laws, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, converted campaign funds to personal use and accepted a bribe, among other claims.

Gaetz has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Gaetz told CNN on Thursday, the investigation is "not something I'm worried about, I'm focused on the work."

"The Ethics Committee typically operates through leaks and so this is no surprise, but the Ethics Committee has never found me to be in violation of House rules, though they've been investigating me during my entire seven years in Congress," he said. "It's also funny that the one guy who doesn't take the corrupt lobbyist and PAC money seems to be under the most Ethics investigation."