Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy blamed his ousting on Rep. Matt Gaetz wanting to stop an ethics complaint about "sleeping with a 17-year-old," RadarOnline.com has learned.
McCarthy offered his two cents on his historic ousting during an hour-long chat at Georgetown University — and the conversation came back to the Florida congressman's sex scandal.
Back in October 2023, Gaetz led the charge to remove McCarthy as Speaker after threatening to file a motion to vacate. Gaetz represented a select group of disgruntled Republicans within the House — and the Democrat minority refused to save McCarthy and voted with Republicans to remove the Speaker.
McCarthy's chaotic ousting effectively set the scene for a divide within the GOP that remains today.
During his chat at Georgetown, host Mo Ellethee asked the ex-Speaker about his removal — and the former California representative, who resigned in December, didn't hold back as he linked his ousting to Gaetz's allegations.
"Let me give you the truth about that. And I’ll give you the truth why I’m not speaker: because one person, a member of Congress, wanted me to stop an ethics complaint because he slept with a 17-year-old girl," McCarthy said.
McCarthy noted the ethics complaint started before he became Speaker.
"Did he do it or not? I don’t know," the former Speaker added.
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As RadarOnline.com reported, the House Ethics Committee obtained text messages in February that Gaetz allegedly sent to a young woman about joining him and others on a three-day trip to the Florida Keys. At the time, Gaetz was a first-term congressman.
The young woman allegedly received payment for sex by Gaetz's then-close friend, Joel Greenberg.
Gaetz reportedly texted the woman, "Hey -- any interest in flying on a private plane to the keys May 19-21?"
The Florida congressman allegedly went on to say the trip would be comprised of "2 guys, 4 girls. A very high-quality adventurous group."
After the young woman agreed to go, Gaetz allegedly replied, "Fantastic. As is true with all time you spend w me, it'll be fun and chill […] You have a passport?"
Sources familiar with the trip told ABC News that the young woman ultimately decided to not go with Gaetz to the Florida Keys.
Greenberg cooperated with the Justice Department's probe into Gaetz, though the department ultimately decided not to prosecute the Florida Republican. Gaetz is currently under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.
Greenberg pled guilty to underage sex trafficking and was sentenced to 11 years behind bars in December 2022.