A woman has testified to the House Ethics Committee that former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), President-elect Donald Trumps nominee to serve as U.S. attorney general, paid her for sex and also had sex with a 17-year-old girl at a drug-fueled party in July 2017, her lawyer told The Washington Post. Gaetz has previously referred to LGBTQ+ people as degenerates, but Christian conservatives are also saying he shouldnt become the next attorney general.The woman is one of two represented by Florida lawyer Joel Leppard. She said Gaetz paid them and other women for sex using Venmo and the PayPal app of his unofficially adopted son Nestor Galena. They also said Gaetz was under the influence of drugs during the party and that he only learned of the minors age after their sexual encounter. The women said Gaetz attended between five and 10 sex parties between 2017 and 2018. Related Matt Gaetz says school prayer bill will create more empathy as he cruelly mocks LGBTQ+ people He said that his bill will stop pansexual poetry hour in Portland as he decried degenerate content in schools. Leppard has called on the House Ethics Committee to release the report of its investigation into sex trafficking allegations against Gaetz. Christian Nationalist House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has said he doesnt think the committee should release it. Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024 Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The ethics committee chair, Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS), said Johnson wont influence whether the report is released. The committee is set to meet on Wednesday to discuss the report, which has not yet been given to all committee members. Democrats and some Republicans have requested its release so that Gaetz may be questioned about the allegations during the Senate confirmation hearing for his appointment to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ). The aforementioned witnesses could be called to testify at such a hearing.In comments given to CNN last year, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) said of Gaetz, Theres a reason why no one in the [Republican] conference came and defended him [when he was first accused of sex trafficking and having sex with a minor]. We had all seen the videos he was showing on the House floor of the girls that he had slept with. Hed brag about how he would crush [erectile dysfunction] medicine and chase it with an energy drink so he could go all night.Gaetz denied Mullins accusation. Sen. Markwayne Mullin on Matt Gaetz: We had all seen the videos he was showing on the House floor of the girls that he had slept with. Hed brag about how he would crush ED medicine and chase it with an energy drink so he could go all night.Gaetz responds: This is a lie pic.twitter.com/h55hj0ag29 Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 5, 2023Trump has nonetheless defended Gaetz, saying he is a deeply gifted and tenacious attorney who will restore Americans badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department. In private, Trump has reportedly admitted that Gaetz may not receive Senate confirmation but has also been calling senators to whip up support.Numerous Republicans have expressed doubt about Gaetzs fitness for the role. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) has said she doesnt consider Gaetz a serious nomination for attorney general. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) has said Gaetz will face an uphill climb to win Senate confirmation. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) has warned that Gaetz could become an embarrassment to the president. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said, Hes probably got some work cut out for him to get a good strong vote, adding, Were not going to get a single Democrat vote in the chamber where Republicans will only have a 3-vote majority.Anti-LGBTQ+ Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AR), who spent last year unsuccessfully blocking the promotions of woke military officers, said that Republicans would work to eject any Republican senators who refuse to vote in favor of Gaetz as attorney general. Everybodys got an opinion up here, but at the end of the day, President Trump was elected by an enormous vote, and he deserves a team around him that he wants, its not us to determine that, Tuberville said, despite the fact that the Senate is specifically tasked with vetting the presidents Cabinet appointees in order to avoid any selections that could compromise national security.Recently, Mat Staver, chairperson of the Liberty Counsel a Christian nationalist legal advocacy group that opposes any expansion of LGBTQ+ rights said that Gaetz is morally disqualified to be attorney general because of his involvement in sex parties, adding The question is would he actually even enforce laws involving human trafficking?Staver suggested that Gaetz should withdraw his nomination so that Trump can choose a better nominee.Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel says that Matt Gaetz is morally "disqualified" to be Attorney General because of his involvement in "sex parties": "The question is would he actually even enforce laws involving human trafficking?" https://t.co/SvI67v7pV1 pic.twitter.com/ufMwSFghy8 Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) November 19, 2024Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.