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Updated May 19, 2021
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is being investigated for alleged sex trafficking and sexual relations with a 17-year-old girl ― allegations that he’s denied. He’s also facing accusations that he misbehaved in the workplace.
Sources told CNN earlier this month that Gaetz showed nude photos and videos of women he claimed to have slept with to fellow lawmakers and colleagues on the House floor.
“It was a point of pride,” one of the sources told CNN.
Congress is an unusual workplace, but it does have a place for members to report harassment or discrimination:
the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights. Those who report harassment are entitled to a free confidential adviser, and if a member of Congress is found to be at fault, they have to reimburse the government for any monetary award or settlement.
Photo by Flickr user Gage Skidmore.
The allegations against Representative Matt Gaetz keep piling on, including accusations first reported by CNN that Gaetz showed fellow lawmakers images of nude women he slept with, even sharing a photo on the House floor. While the claims are certainly repugnant on their own, it’s also worth remembering that Congress is a workplace and employers can get in hot water for allowing harassment in an office setting.
But what happens when the employee is hired by the voters of a Congressional district in Florida, while the workplace is a legislative chamber in Washington whose managers don’t answer to those constituents?