The former congressman was the focus of a House Ethics panel report accusing him of “regularly” paying for sex and using drugs, which helped doom his short-lived nomination for attorney general.

U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody have each been rumored to be considering a run for the Republican nomination. (Moody is also widely seen as the top candidate to be DeSantis’ choice to succeed Marco Rubio in the Senate.)

Gaetz was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over alleged illicit drug use and of having sex with an underage 17-year-old girl. While he has denied wrongdoing, the

The former congressman's comments come weeks after the House Ethics Committee released a bombshell report claiming he paid for sex with a 17-year-old