Matt Gaetz drug and sex allegations 'should not be ignored': former GOP colleague

The constant "drip drip drip" of information about questions about Rep. Matt Gaetz's conduct filtering out of the House Ethics Committee should be cause for concern for both the Florida lawmaker and the Republican party he represents.

This past week it was revealed that the committee is continuing its inquiry into allegations that Gaetz paid for sex with underaged women and attended drug-fueled parties, and former Rep. Dave Jolly (R-FL) claimed that should be setting off alarms.

Writing for MSNBC, Jolly asserted the accusations "should not be ignored. For one thing, the various accusations have always been serious, many following him from his bachelor days as a Florida state legislator."

Noting the Republican majority-dominated committee is going where a previous DOJ investigation did not go, he explained "We do not know how the House Ethics Committee’s investigation will end. The committee’s potential actions range from closing the matter without comment to recommending censure or even expulsion from the House."

With that, he noted Gaetz's "angry denials' and pointed out that, if that sounds familiar, we are experiencing something completely similar to Donald Trump's legal travails.

"Their proven ability to offend norms, shatter convention and defy political gravity. Trump is literally a convicted criminal, and yet he is also a contender to again control the White House. Gaetz flexed his political might during the speaker debacle, and may now be eyeing a run for the Florida governorship in 2026," he wrote before continuing, "Today, Donald Trump is 78 years old. Matt Gaetz is 42. The GOP is truly in trouble if it allows a full transfer of power and momentum between this old and new guard. Hopefully, the House Ethics Committee will ensure justice is done, certainly if the allegations against Gaetz are confirmed. It’s been a depressing decade for the GOP."

"Enough is enough," he added.