Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-F.L., is plotting a dramatic revenge plan against the establishment lawmakers that will oust their dirtiest secrets: The sexual harassment settlement slush fund used by Congress.
Gaetz may be planning a one-day return to Congress to force disclosure of years of sexual harassment settlements paid with public funds, as lawmakers prepare to release an ethics report about his own conduct.
“I’m seriously considering” returning to Congress on January 3, Gaetz, 42, told The Daily Beast. He outlined a plan to use his election to the 119th Congress to file a privileged resolution before resigning hours later to start his new television show at the conservative One America News Network.
The resolution, already circulating among Republican lawmakers according to a draft obtained by Politico, would require the House Administration Committee to reveal “each settlement of a complaint filed against the office of a Member of the House under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995.”
Gaetz said he has nothing to lose by filing the resolution that would potentially reveal the details of hundreds of “me too” payments by both Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
“Someone suggested the following plan to me: 1. Show up 1/3/2025 to congress 2. Participate in Speaker election (I was elected to the 119th Congress, after all…) 3. Take the oath 4. File a privileged motion to expose every “me too” settlement paid using public funds (even of former members) 5. Resign and start my @OANN program at 9pm EST on January 6, 2025,” he shared on X.
Someone suggested the following plan to me:
1. Show up 1/3/2025 to congress
2. Participate in Speaker election (I was elected to the 119th Congress, after all…)
3. Take the oath
4. File a privileged motion to expose every “me too” settlement paid using public funds (even of…— Former Congressman Matt Gaetz (@FmrRepMattGaetz) December 18, 2024
The stunning move follows the House Ethics Committee’s secret vote to release findings from its three-year investigation into allegations Gaetz. The report is expected after lawmakers leave Washington.
“It’s embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life. I live a different life now,” Gaetz wrote on social media Wednesday.
Gaetz resigned in November after being nominated as President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general, but withdrew from consideration amid opposition from establishment Senate Republicans. He has denied wrongdoing and has repeatedly pointed out that the Justice Department declined to file charges after a lengthy investigation.
Questions remain about whether Gaetz can legally take his seat after submitting a resignation letter stating he would not serve in the new Congress. The resolution could also move forward without him, as a Republican lawmaker speaking anonymously confirmed serious discussions about introducing it.
If filed as a privileged motion, the resolution would force a vote within two legislative days without leadership approval.
The timing coincides with Speaker Mike Johnson’s reelection vote, adding pressure to his already tenuous position.
Johnson has opposed releasing the Gaetz ethics report, and said it breaks precedent to publicize findings about a former member.
Besides his new television show, Gaetz, who helped oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, has hinted at a possible 2026 governor run in Florida.