According to multiple sources, Rep. Matt Gaetz was under investigation by the Justice Department for several years to determine if he violated sex trafficking laws and obstructed justice in that probe. Prosecutors had spent months investigating allegations that Gaetz was part of a scheme that led to the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl. However, on February 15, 2023, the Justice Department ended its sex trafficking investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz without charging him with any crimes. The investigation into Gaetz gained some momentum earlier this year when his ex-girlfriend struck an immunity deal with prosecutors. However, on September 23, 2022, federal prosecutors recommended not to bring charges against Gaetz as part of a sex trafficking investigation.

Despite the Justice Departments decision, the House Ethics Committee has revived its investigation into Gaetz, focused on allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, or other misconduct. The committee plans to examine the same allegations they were looking into when they opened the investigation in 2021. The Justice Departments decision not to bring charges against Gaetz does not impact what the committee will and wont investigate.