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casino game 21 codycross Gatestone Institute senior fellow and author Gordon Chang says the United States is not prepared to face the challenge from China and urges the Trump administration to do so on Fox News Live. FIRST ON FOX: A top diplomat of the Chinese Communist Party , who recently replaced a controversial official with deep ties to top New York Democrats, recently touted his relationship with an American university president and former top education official in New Jersey. Chen Li, who assumed the role of consul general of the People’s Republic of China in New York last month, took to social media last week to praise the "warm hospitality" he received from Kean University President Lamont Repollet. "Absolutely overwhelmed by the warm hospitality from President Repollet. I truly felt at home on this campus," Li wrote on X . "The commitment to bilateral educational exchange and people to people connections is key to the success of Wenzhou-Kean University, a Chinese-American joint institution." Repollet, who served as New Jersey's commissioner of education under Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy for more than two years, was seen smiling in two of the photos that Li posted. According to Repollet's Kean University biography, he was in charge of "overseeing the shift to remote education amid the COVID-19 pandemic and playing a key role in planning for the 2020-2021 school year." DEM GOVERNOR REVEALS CCP OFFICIAL WITH DEEP TIES TO HER OFFICE 'NO LONGER' IN ROLE AMID FORMER AIDE'S ARREST China's New York Consul General Chen Li posing with Kean University's Lamont Repollet. (Chinese Consul General New York ) Despite Biden and Trump administration officials warning about the influence of the CCP, Repollet has developed deep ties to China dating back several years, a Fox News Digital review found. He most recently visited Beijing in October of this year to give a keynote speech at the Triennial Conference of the International Association of University Presidents, which was held in Beijing. Press releases from the conference emphasized how Repollet was passionate about equity in education and that his keynote speech highlighted how "AI is a revolutionary tool that can foster equity and transform how we engage with students and support their success." "AI has the power to help close achievement gaps and ensure that every student, no matter their challenges, has access to high-quality educational resources," he continued. "By offering personalized learning experiences, AI empowers historically marginalized students with the tools they need to succeed." Months earlier, Chinese state media amplified China President Xi Jinping's letter to Repollet, which was in response to a letter he sent to Xi, according to state media. CHINESE OFFICIAL WHO PRAISED CCP MAKES ANOTHER APPEARANCE AT TOP IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL: ‘HISTORIC CONNECTIONS’ Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during his inspection of the Western Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army on July 26, 2023. (Li Gang/Xinhua via Getty Images) "Recently, President Xi Jinping replied to a letter from Lamont Repollet, president of Kean University of the United States, encouraging Chinese and American universities to strengthen exchanges and cooperation and contribute to China-U.S. friendship," the Chinese government said in a press release. "Recalling witnessing the signing ceremony of the China-U.S. cooperation agreement on jointly establishing Wenzhou-Kean University in 2006 at Kean University, Xi Jinping said he is pleased to see that with the joint efforts of both sides, Wenzhou-Kean University has achieved remarkable results and become a landmark project in China-U.S. educational cooperation." "Xi expressed appreciation for what Repollet said in his letter about deepening cooperation with Wenzhou-Kean University and encouraging American students to come to China for exchange and study, and called on universities of the two countries to step up exchanges and cooperation through different modalities to cultivate young envoys who know both countries well, and build more bridges to promote China-U.S. friendship," the statement continued. President Xi Jinping meets the press following the China-Central Asia Summit in Xi'an, China, May 19, 2023. (Li Xueren/Xinhua via Getty Images) Additionally, a press release from Wenzhou-Kean University touted Repollet's "momentous" visit to China in April 2023. "Kean University President Lamont O. Repollet and his delegation embarked on a momentous visit to Wenzhou, marking the first visit in three years," the press release said. "This visit presented a unique opportunity to strengthen the interactions between the two universities, foster people-to-people exchanges between Zhejiang province and New Jersey in the United States, and enhance the long-standing friendship between the two countries." The press release said Repollet arrived in China on March 20, 2023, and he "wasted no time" meeting with Wenzhou Party Secretary Shuji Liu Xiaotao. "Mr. Liu Xiaotao expressed his hope that the two sides would continue to build a model of Sino-US cooperation in education and foster a bridge of friendly exchanges, with a bright future ahead for the university," the press release states. "President Repollet extended his heartfelt gratitude to the Wenzhou government for its unwavering support toward the construction and development of WKU." Xiaotao has been a member of the Chinese Communist Party since 1991 and has served in various roles over the last few decades. Additionally, a Chinese state media company held an event in New York City in September of this year that listed Repollet as a speaker where, according to a press release , he "emphasized the importance of cultural exchange and people-to-people diplomacy in fostering mutual understanding between nations." The slate of speakers included several Chinese officials, including Xie Feng, Chinese ambassador to the U.S., and Shen Haixiong, the deputy minister of the publicity department of the CPC Central Committee. Haixiong also serves as the head of the China Media Group, which is a crucial media conglomerate that plays a major role in the country's state media apparatus. While Repollet's ties to China have become stronger since he became the president of Kean University, his Facebook profile shows that he made multiple visits to China before he became the top administrator at Kean. For example, a 2016 Facebook post shows Repollet attending Wenzhou-Kean University's inaugural commencement in China as a member of the university's board of trustees. He attended the 2017 commencement in China also, according to another Facebook post. Prior to Chen Li taking over the top position in China's New York consulate, that position was held by Huang Ping, who has a long history of promoting CCP propaganda and calling the CCP a "great party," denying the alleged Uyghur genocide, and meeting with officials across the United States at universities, media companies and in elected office. Huang Ping meets with Pennsylvania state Sen. Sharif Street. (Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in New York) Huang Ping, the consul general of China’s New York Consulate (YouTube screenshot/Chinese Consulate General in New York) Repollet also has ties to Ping dating back to 2021, according to a press release from the New York Chinese consulate. Ping and Repollet met virtually in December 2021, where Ping congratulated him on his appointment at Kean University and commended "the university for setting a good example for China-U.S. educational cooperation by its 10-year successful campus in Wenzhou, China." "[Repollet] highly agrees that education cooperation plays a unique role in people-to-people exchange and in enhancing understanding and friendship between the Chinese and American people," the consulate's press release said. "[Repollet] confirms that the university highly values globalization and diversity, and firmly supports cooperation with China." Months earlier, Repollet recorded a video on behalf of the New York Chinese consulate celebrating "the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China." In the video, he touted his university's "strong ties" to China and said he was "immensely grateful to our Chinese partners and to the people at Kean USA who continues to work together to help this university and especially our students thrive." "I look forward to continuing to collaborate with our partners in China to further develop this great institution and to celebrate events like National Day In China together [and] well into the future," Repollet continued. A 2023 Facebook post also shows Repollet participating in an event marking the final day of the Chinese New Year, which featured Ping. Michael Sobolik, the author of "Countering China’s Great Game: A Strategy for American Dominance," sounded the alarm about this close relationship between Repollet and China, telling Fox News Digital this relationship is a "cautionary tale." "The university hosts a Human Rights Institute, but it makes no mention of Beijing's ongoing genocide of Uyghurs, its cultural genocide in Tibet, its political crackdown in Hong Kong, or its broader oppression of the Chinese people at home and abroad," Sobolik continued. "This is what happens when American universities partner with the Chinese Communist Party: money and market access incentivize Americans to ignore the party's atrocities and remain silent." China expert Michaele Sobolik said Kean University's relationship with China is a "cautionary tale." (Getty Images) CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP China's New York consulate, which has previously toed the line on the CCP's narrative while responding to multiple Fox News Digital inquiries, dismissed Sobolik's analysis by calling him a "so-called ‘expert’" that "lacks a basic understanding of China." "The statements regarding Xinjiang, Xizang, Hong Kong, and human rights are factually incorrect and represent typical disinformation. We firmly opposes such slander and smear," the consulate continued. "Educational exchange and cooperation between China and the U.S. align with the laws and common interests of both sides, and are transparent and beyond reproach." "Kean University is known for promoting educational equity and inclusivity, and its cooperation with China will provide more learning and development opportunities for students of all ethnic backgrounds in the U.S.," the consulate added. "We urge some people in the U.S. to remove their ‘colored glasses,’ view the cooperation objectively and positively." Fox News Digital reached out to Kean University for comment, but did not receive a response. Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.

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Grey Bull Rescue's Bryan Stern has pored through prison records and searched secret cells looking for U.S. journalist Austin Tice. A hostage rescue operator in Syria offered a glimmer of holiday hope in the case of a missing U.S. journalist, telling Fox News Digital he believes Austin Tice is alive and is hopeful that he will be found soon. While refusing to divulge sensitive details, Grey Bull Rescue’s Bryan Stern asserted that he has intelligence that leads him to believe the 43-year-old Marine veteran and reporter who was kidnapped in Syria in 2012 is alive, or at least was up until recently. "I would say 100%, I would bet that he is alive, or at least was as of two weeks ago," Stern told Fox News Digital from his hotel room in Syria. "I would bet that he's being cared for and tended to," he went on. "I further submit that, he's findable," he went on. "We don’t recover dead bodies. Not to say that we wouldn’t, but we’re a nonprofit, we wouldn’t be putting resources toward that, freezing to death, missing my fourth Christmas with my family, if I didn’t believe he was alive and findable." TRUMP COULD FACE RENEWED ISIS THREAT IN SYRIA AS TURKEY GOES AFTER US ALLY Stern has been searching through prisons looking for U.S. journalist Austin Tice. (Bryan Stern/Grey Bull Rescue ) Stern has led high-level rescue missions in some of the most dangerous corners of the world, including Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, Israel, Haiti, Lebanon and the U.S. during natural disasters. "We have done 12 jailbreaks from Russia ," said Stern. "That is 12 more than the CIA." The ousting of Bashar al-Assad and subsequent takeover of Syria by HTS has offered the Biden administration and Tice’s family a renewed sense of hope that the journalist could be found. "He could have died of a stomach bug three years ago. And we just don't know. I don't think that that's the case," said Stern. "I have no reason to believe that that's the case. There's not a single piece of information, circumstantial or otherwise, that indicate anything near that. In fact, everything I have is counter to that." The Syrian government for more than a decade refused to negotiate the release of Tice, who was abducted while reporting on the uprising against the Assad regime during the early stages of the Syrian civil war, which ultimately ended earlier this month after the Syrian president was ousted and fled to Moscow. TRUMP SAYS TURKEY ‘DID AN UNFRIENDLY TAKEOVER’ IN SYRIA AS US-BROKERED CEASE-FIRE APPEARS TO FAIL Stern Stern has led high-level rescue missions in some of the most dangerous corners of the world. (Bryan Stern/Grey Bull Rescue ) The mood in Syria is "cautiously happy" after decades of brutal oppression, according to Stern, and while the new governing force HTS is "not standing in the way" of finding Tice, they’re more preoccupied with learning how to govern than assisting in the search efforts. The most likely scenario, according to Stern, is that Tice is being detained in a home in a neighborhood, looked after by Assad-friendly Alawites, the same branch of Islam as the former leader. Many of the country's prisons have now been searched or emptied and he doesn't believe President Vladimir Putin would hold Tice in Russia. "The relationship between Assad and Putin is significantly overblown. [Assad] has been there over two weeks and they haven't even seen each other," said Stern. "The Russians are like we don't need this problem, that is a great way to p--- off soon-to-be-President Trump, I mean who was obsessed with the Austin Tice case years ago." Investigators believe Tice escaped years ago but was found in just such a neighborhood in Damascus and thrown back in detainment. The State Department’s Rewards for Justice office is offering a $10 million reward for any information leading to the finding of Tice, but Stern said he believes anyone with information is more driven by tribal loyalty than monetary reward. The Grey Bull team has pored through prison records looking for Tice. (Bryan Stern/Grey Bull Rescue ) "Assad is living the good life in the tower in Moscow. But make no mistake, he still has reach inside of Syria," said Stern. "Half of the new government were Assad guys last week." "That tribal nexus plus the fear of Bashar Assad being able to reach out and touch people still in Syria, why would they come forward?" Another group working with Grey Bull asserted this week that they believe Tice is alive. "We have data that Austin is alive till January 2024, but the president of the U.S. said in August that he is alive, and we are sure that he is alive today," Nizar Zakka, president of Hostage Aid Worldwide, said Tuesday, according to multiple reports. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "We are trying to be as transparent as possible and to share as much information as possible." Zakka offered little evidence to back up its statements made from a press conference in Damascus, though he reportedly used an image to demonstrate the locations where Tice was held from November 2017 to February 2024. U.S. Hostage Aid Worldwide has engaged with Tice’s family and U.S. authorities in the hunt for Tice, and the Biden administration has echoed a message of hope that Tice is alive, despite months of little word about his whereabouts.Pat King found guilty of mischief for role in 'Freedom Convoy'

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Unlike scores of people who scrambled for the blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight in recent years, Danielle Griffin had no trouble getting them. The 38-year-old information technology worker from New Mexico had a prescription. Her pharmacy had the drugs in stock. And her health insurance covered all but $25 to $50 of the monthly cost. For Griffin, the hardest part of using the new drugs wasn’t access. It was finding out that the much-hyped medications didn’t really work for her. “I have been on Wegovy for a year and a half and have only lost 13 pounds,” said Griffin, who watches her diet, drinks plenty of water and exercises regularly. “I’ve done everything right with no success. It’s discouraging.” In clinical trials, most participants taking Wegovy or Mounjaro to treat obesity lost an average of 15% to 22% of their body weight — up to 50 pounds or more in many cases. But roughly 10% to 15% of patients in those trials were “nonresponders” who lost less than 5% of their body weight. Now that millions of people have used the drugs, several obesity experts told The Associated Press that perhaps 20% of patients — as many as 1 in 5 — may not respond well to the medications. It's a little-known consequence of the obesity drug boom, according to doctors who caution eager patients not to expect one-size-fits-all results. “It's all about explaining that different people have different responses,” said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity expert at Massachusetts General Hospital The drugs are known as GLP-1 receptor agonists because they mimic a hormone in the body known as glucagon-like peptide 1. Genetics, hormones and variability in how the brain regulates energy can all influence weight — and a person's response to the drugs, Stanford said. Medical conditions such as sleep apnea can prevent weight loss, as can certain common medications, such as antidepressants, steroids and contraceptives. “This is a disease that stems from the brain,” said Stanford. “The dysfunction may not be the same” from patient to patient. Despite such cautions, patients are often upset when they start getting the weekly injections but the numbers on the scale barely budge. “It can be devastating,” said Dr. Katherine Saunders, an obesity expert at Weill Cornell Medicine and co-founder of the obesity treatment company FlyteHealth. “With such high expectations, there’s so much room for disappointment.” That was the case for Griffin, who has battled obesity since childhood and hoped to shed 70 pounds using Wegovy. The drug helped reduce her appetite and lowered her risk of diabetes, but she saw little change in weight. “It’s an emotional roller coaster,” she said. “You want it to work like it does for everybody else.” The medications are typically prescribed along with eating behavior and lifestyle changes. It’s usually clear within weeks whether someone will respond to the drugs, said Dr. Jody Dushay, an endocrine specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Weight loss typically begins right away and continues as the dosage increases. For some patients, that just doesn't happen. For others, side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea force them to halt the medications, Dushay said. In such situations, patients who were counting on the new drugs to pare pounds may think they’re out of options. “I tell them: It's not game over,” Dushay said. Trying a different version of the new class of drugs may help. Griffin, who didn't respond well to Wegovy, has started using Zepbound, which targets an additional hormone pathway in the body. After three months of using the drug, she has lost 7 pounds. “I'm hoping it's slow and steady,” she said. Other people respond well to older drugs, the experts said. Changing diet, exercise, sleep and stress habits can also have profound effects. Figuring out what works typically requires a doctor trained to treat obesity, Saunders noted. “Obesity is such a complex disease that really needs to be treated very comprehensively,” she said. “If what we’re prescribing doesn’t work, we always have a backup plan.” The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.The New York Sack Exchange documentary director says Mark Gastineau’s confrontation with Brett Favre was ‘unexpected’

MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler will not play in the final two games of Miami's ongoing road trip while recovering from illness, the team said Friday. That means Butler will not play Saturday at Atlanta or Sunday at Houston. The earliest he could play again is Wednesday at home against New Orleans. Butler hasn't played since the first quarter of Miami's Dec. 20 game against Oklahoma City, when he twisted an ankle, left the game and then was ruled out because of illness. Miami has played three games since without Butler, two because of the illness and then Thursday's win in Orlando with him back in Miami conditioning for a return. He is not with the team on the road trip. The Heat said Thursday that they are not going to trade Butler, that announcement coming after ESPN, citing sources, said the six-time All-Star would prefer to be moved before the trade deadline on Feb. 6. Butler has not publicly expressed any desire to be traded. He is averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists this season. AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Drew Lock is likely going to start at quarterback for the New York Giants against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday when they try to end a franchise-record 10-game losing streak. Lock started against Atlanta last weekend and his status became an issue after the 34-7 loss when coach Brian Daboll said the 28-year-old was having an issue with his right shoulder. An MRI was done Monday and Daboll announced Tuesday that Lock would be his starter if he stayed healthy. “It came back good so rocking and rolling,” Lock said, noting he was hurt on a third down pass to Daniel Bellinger in the first quarter when Falcons linebacker Matthew Judon pulled his arm on the play. He finished the game. There were questions whether Daboll would switch back to Tommy DeVito after Lock threw two pick-6s and lost a fumble on a strip-sack against the Falcons. Lock has had three interceptions returned for scores in three starts this season, including two on tipped passes. Daboll said it was important to give Lock a couple of starts in which he was able to get all the reps in practice. “Knowing what we did the week before, take the things we need to get better at into this week and actually be able to go out there and do it is something I’m looking forward to,” Lock said. “Similar cadences with the guys, being in the huddle together. I think it can only be a positive for such a roller coaster out of that spot.” The one thing that might change this week is the Giants center. John Michael Schmitz has an ankle injury and he did not practice Tuesday. He left the locker room with a boot on his right foot. New York has moved veteran guard Greg Van Roten to center when Schmitz was hurt and Lock also worked with guard Austin Schlottmann as his center while playing in Denver. “I’m pretty familiar with all the guys that are rotating in there,” Lock said. The Giants have the NFL's worst scoring offense, averaging 14.3 points. They benched Daniel Jones coming out of their bye week and days later released him after he requested it. DeVito has started two games and Lock three since Jones was released. New York has scored 59 points in those games, with 20 coming against Dallas in a seven-point loss on Thanksgiving. Running back Tyrone Tracy (ankle), wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee-foot), cornerback Greg Stroman (shoulder-shin), defensive tackle Cory Durden (shoulder), inside linebacker Micah McFadden (neck) and cornerback Dru Phillips (shoulder) also did not practice on Tuesday, which is usually a day off. The team will have off on Christmas Day and return to practice on Thursday. The Giants opened practice on Tuesday with the song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” blaring on the loudspeakers in their indoor practice facility. Jones, who is on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad, sent the Giants offensive linemen Christmas gifts. “DJ comes in, saves me and Tommy once again, and then takes care of the guys,” Lock said. “I expected nothing less from the guy. That’s just who he is, and cares about these guys still.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflFormer Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., attends the cocktail hour of New York Young Republican Club’s annual gala at Cipriani Wall Street, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., closes a door to a private meeting with Vice President-elect JD Vance and Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., center, attends the cocktail hour of New York Young Republican Club’s annual gala at Cipriani Wall Street, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., attends the cocktail hour of New York Young Republican Club’s annual gala at Cipriani Wall Street, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) By LISA MASCARO and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee’s long-awaited report on Matt Gaetz documents a trove of salacious allegations , including sex with an underage girl, that tanked the Florida Republican’s bid to lead the Justice Department . Related Articles National Politics | An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump National Politics | Trump again calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal National Politics | House Ethics Committee accuses Gaetz of ‘regularly’ paying for sex, including with 17-year-old girl National Politics | Trump wants mass deportations. For the agents removing immigrants, it’s a painstaking process National Politics | Many Americans have come to rely on Chinese-made drones. Now lawmakers want to ban them. Citing text messages, travel receipts, online payments and testimony, the bipartisan committee paints a picture of a lifestyle in which Gaetz and others connected with younger women for drug-fueled parties, events or trips, with the expectation the women would be paid for their participation. The former congressman, who filed a last-minute lawsuit to try to block the report’s release on Monday, slammed the committee’s findings. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and has insisted he never had sex with a minor. And a Justice Department investigation into the allegations ended without any criminal charges filed against him. “Giving funds to someone you are dating — that they didn’t ask for — and that isn’t ‘charged’ for sex is now prostitution?!?” Gaetz wrote in one post on Monday. “There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses.” Here’s a look at some of the committee’s key findings: The committee found that between 2017 and 2020, Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars to women “likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use.” He paid the women using through online services such as PayPal, Venmo, and CashApp and with cash or check, the committee said. The committee said it found evidence that Gaetz understood the “transactional nature” of his relationships with the women. The report points to one text exchange in which Gaetz balked at a woman’s request that he send her money, “claiming she only gave him a ‘drive by.’” Women interviewed by the committee said there was a “general expectation of sex,” the report said. One woman who received more than $5,000 from Gaetz between 2018 and 2019 said that “99 percent of the time” that when she hung out with Gaetz “there was sex involved.” However, Gaetz was in a long-term relationship with one of the women he paid, so “some of the payments may have been of a legitimate nature,” the committee said. Text messages obtained by the committee also show that Gaetz would ask the women to bring drugs to their “rendezvous,” the report said. While most of his encounters with the women were in Florida, the committee said Gaetz also traveled “on several occasions” with women whom he paid for sex. The report includes text message exchanges in which Gaetz appears to be inviting various women to events, getaways or parties, and arranging airplane travel and lodging. Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg, who pleaded guilty to sex trafficking charges in 2021, initially connected with women through an online service. In one text with a 20-year-old woman, Greenberg suggested if she has a friend, the four of them could meet up. The woman responded that she usually does “$400 per meet.” Greenberg replied: “He understands the deal,” along with a smiley face emoji. Greenberg asks if they are old enough to drink alcohol, and sent the woman a picture of Gaetz. The woman responded that her friend found him “really cute.” “Well, he’s down here for only for the day, we work hard and play hard,” Greenberg replied. The report details a party in July 2017 in which Gaetz is accused of having sex with “multiple women, including the 17-year-old, for which they were paid.” The committee pointed to “credible testimony” from the now-woman herself as well as “multiple individuals” who corroborated the allegation. The then-17-year-old — who had just completed her junior year in high school — told the committee that Gaetz paid her $400 in cash that night, “which she understood to be payment for sex,” according to the report. The woman acknowledged that she had taken ecstasy the night of the party, but told the committee that she was “certain” of her sexual encounters with the then-congressman. There’s no evidence that Gaetz knew she was a minor when he had sex with her, the committee said. The woman told the committee she didn’t tell Gaetz she was under 18 at the time and that he didn’t how old she was. Rather, the committee said Gaetz learned she was a minor more than a month after the party. But he stayed in touch with her after that and met up with her for “commercial sex” again less than six months after she turned 18, according to the committee. In sum, the committee said it authorized 29 subpoenas for documents and testimony, reviewed nearly 14,000 documents and contacted more than two dozen witnesses. But when the committee subpoenaed Gaetz for his testimony, he failed to comply. “Gaetz pointed to evidence that would ‘exonerate’ him yet failed to produce any such materials,” the committee said. Gaetz “continuously sought to deflect, deter, or mislead the Committee in order to prevent his actions from being exposed.” The report details a months-long process that dragged into a year as it sought information from Gaetz that he decried as “nosey” and a “weaponization” of government against him. In one notable exchange, investigators were seeking information about the expenses for a 2018 get-away with multiple women to the Bahamas. Gaetz ultimately offered up his plane ticket receipt “to” the destination, but declined to share his return “from” the Bahamas. The report said his return on a private plane and other expenses paid by an associate were in violation of House gift rules. In another Gaetz told the committee he would “welcome” the opportunity to respond to written questions. Yet, after it sent a list of 16 questions, Gaetz said publicly he would “no longer” voluntarily cooperate. He called the investigation “frivolous,” adding: “Every investigation into me ends the same way: my exoneration.” The report said that while Gaetz’s obstruction of the investigation does not rise to a criminal violation it is inconsistent with the requirement that all members of Congress “act in a manner that reflects creditably upon the House.” The committee began its review of Gaetz in April 2021 and deferred its work in response to a Justice Department request. It renewed its work shortly after Gaetz announced that the Justice Department had ended a sex trafficking investigation without filing any charges against him. The committee sought records from the Justice Department about the probe, but the agency refused, saying it doesn’t disclose information about investigations that don’t result in charges. The committee then subpoenaed the Justice Department, but after a back-and-forth between officials and the committee, the department handed over “publicly reported information about the testimony of a deceased individual,” according to the report. “To date, DOJ has provided no meaningful evidence or information to the Committee or cited any lawful basis for its responses,” the committee said. Many of the women who the committee spoke to had already given statements to the Justice Department and didn’t want to “relive their experience,” the committee said. “They were particularly concerned with providing additional testimony about a sitting congressman in light of DOJ’s lack of action on their prior testimony,” the report said. The Justice Department, however, never handed over the women’s statements. The agency’s lack of cooperation — along with its request that the committee pause its investigation — significantly delayed the committee’s probe, lawmakers said. 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