Matt Gaetz 'He Is Cooked': Internet reacts to allegations of 2017 drug-fueled party with minor

Social media is abuzz with speculation that Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-Fla.) political career may be nearing its end, following new allegations in a court filing.

The affidavit claims that Gaetz attended a drug-fueled sex party in 2017 with a 17-year-old girl. 

At the time, Gaetz was in his 30s, and the teenager was already at the center of a sex trafficking investigation involving him.

Although the Justice Department previously dropped its investigation without charging Gaetz, a House Ethics probe into allegations of sexual misconduct remains ongoing. 

The new affidavit and court filing, citing three eyewitness testimonies, have brought renewed scrutiny to the Florida lawmaker.

Joel Greenberg, a former associate of Gaetz, was convicted in connection with the investigation and sentenced to 11 years in prison. 

Critics of Gaetz have long pointed to the accusations regarding his alleged involvement with the minor, with opponents using the claims in political ads and figures like former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy publicly criticizing him.

The new court filings, first reported by NOTUS, have intensified the controversy. 

According to the filings, a high school junior was driven to the party by her mother, arriving at the home of Gaetz’s friend Chris Dorworth. 

Sworn affidavits claim that she was naked at the party, where attendees were allegedly present to “engage in sexual activities,” with Gaetz named as one of the partygoers.

The report also noted that phone records show Gaetz and Dorworth texted each other 30 times on the day of the party, with Gaetz making two calls to Dorworth before the event. Dorworth has claimed that Greenberg attempted to frame him, initially filing a defamation suit against Greenberg, which he later dropped. The new affidavits stem from that case and have now drawn Gaetz back into the spotlight.

Gaetz, for his part, has repeatedly denied the allegations, previously claiming that the unnamed minor “doesn’t exist.”

The bombshell report quickly went viral on social media, with users widely speculating that Gaetz’s political career is over.

One person tweeted, “Matt Gaetz [was at] his buddy’s house for coke-fueled parties to have sex with [an underage girl] and the prosecution has the cell phone records to prove it… he is cooked.” 

Others echoed similar sentiments, with comments like, “Oh, he’s done.”

Some critics, however, are reserving judgment. One user remarked, “You’d think ‘drug-fueled’, ‘sex party’, and ’17-year-old’ would be phrases in the same paragraph that are non-conducive to continuing a political career.”

As the House Ethics investigation continues and more information comes to light, Gaetz’s future in politics is increasingly uncertain.