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Tweet Facebook Mail The US House Ethics Committee on Monday accused Matt Gaetz of "regularly" paying for sex, including once with a 17-year-old girl, and purchasing and using illicit drugs as a member of Congress, as lawmakers released the conclusions of a nearly four-year investigation that helped sink his nomination for attorney general. The 37-page report by the bipartisan panel includes explicit details of sex-filled parties and vacations that Gaetz, now 42, took part in from 2017 to 2020 while the Republican represented Florida's western Panhandle. Congressional investigators concluded that Gaetz violated multiple state laws related to sexual misconduct while in office, though not federal sex trafficking laws. They also found that Gaetz "knowingly and willfully sought to impede and obstruct" the committee's work. READ MORE: King Charles to break with tradition for 2024 Christmas message Former US Representative Matt Gaetz regularly paid for sex, an ethics report has found. (AP) "The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress," the report said. Before the report came out, Gaetz denied any wrongdoing and criticised the committee's process. "Giving funds to someone you are dating — that they didn't ask for — and that isn't 'charged' for sex is now prostitution?!?" he posted on X, the website formerly known as Twitter. READ MORE: Mangione pleads not guilty to United Healthcare CEO's murder "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." Gaetz, who was first elected in 2017, spent the majority of his time in Washington enmeshed in scandals that ultimately derailed his selection by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Justice Department. Gaetz abruptly resigned from Congress last month. His political future is uncertain, although Gaetz has indicated interest in running for the open Senate seat in Florida. The committee painted a damning portrait of Gaetz's conduct, using dozens of pages of exhibits, including text messages, financial records, travel receipts, checks and online payments, to document a party and drug-fueled lifestyle. The committee said it compiled the evidence after issuing 29 subpoenas for documents and testimony and contacting more than two dozen witnesses. In addition to soliciting prostitution, the report said Gaetz "accepted gifts, including transportation and lodging in connection with a 2018 trip to the Bahamas, in excess of permissible amounts." READ MORE: Australia working to help Melbourne man captured by Russians in Ukraine Gaetz has denied wrongdoing. (AP) That same year, investigators said, Gaetz arranged for a staffer to obtain a passport for a woman with whom he was sexually involved, falsely telling the State Department that she was his constituent. In some of the text exchanges made public, he appeared to be inviting various women to events, getaways or parties, and arranging airplane travel and lodging. At one point he asked one woman if she had a "cute black dress" to wear. There were also discussions of shipping goods. One of the exhibits was a text exchange that appeared to be between two of the women concerned about their cash flow and payments. In another, a person asked Gaetz for help to pay an educational expense. Regarding the 17-year-old girl, the report said there was no evidence Gaetz knew she was a minor when he had sex with her. The woman told the committee she did not tell Gaetz she was under 18 at the time and that he learned she was a minor more than a month after the party. But Gaetz 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. Florida law says it is a felony for a person 24 or older to have sex with a minor. The law does not allow a claim of ignorance or misrepresentation of a minor's age as a defence. Gaetz was Donald Trump's initial pick for attorney-general. (CNN) Joel Leppard, who represents two women who told the committee that Gaetz paid them for sex, said the findings "vindicate" the accounts of his clients and "demonstrate their credibility." "We appreciate the committee's commitment to transparency in releasing this comprehensive report so the truth can be known," Leppard said in a statement. At least one Republican joined all five Democrats on the committee earlier this month in voting to release the report despite initial opposition from GOP lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, to publishing findings about a former member of Congress. While ethics reports have previously been released after a member's resignation, it is extremely rare. On behalf of the Republicans who voted against making the report public, the committee chairman, Representative Michael Guest of Mississippi, wrote that while the members did not challenge the findings, "we take great exception that the majority deviated from the committee's well-established standards," to drop any investigation when a person is not longer a member of the chamber. Trump announces flood of new appointments to Pentagon and DOGE View Gallery Guest added that releasing this report sets a precedent that "is a dangerous departure with potentially catastrophic consequences." But Maryland Representative Glenn Ivey, a Democratic member of the committee, said that for transparency, it was crucial for the public and Congress as an institution to read the findings. "I think that's important for my colleagues here in the House to know how the committee reviews certain acts," he told The Associated Press. "Some of these were obviously conduct that crossed the line, but some of them weren't." Mounting a last-ditch effort to halt the publication of the report, Gaetz filed a lawsuit Monday asking a federal court to intervene. He cited what he called "untruthful and defamatory information" that would "significantly damage" his "standing and reputation in the community." Gaetz's complaint argued that he was no longer under the committee's jurisdiction because he had resigned from Congress. The often secretive, bipartisan committee has investigated claims against Gaetz since 2021. But its work became more urgent last month when Trump picked him shortly after the November 5 election Day to be the nation's top law enforcement officer. Gaetz resigned from Congress that same day, putting him outside the purview of the committee's jurisdiction. But Democrats had pressed to make the report public even after Gaetz was no longer in the House and had withdrawn from consideration for Trump's Cabinet. A vote on the House floor this month to force the report's release failed; all but one Republican voted against it. The committee detailed its start-and-stop investigation over the past several years, which was halted for a time as the Justice Department conducted its own inquiry of Gaetz. Federal prosecutors never brought a case against him. Lawmakers said they asked the Justice Department for information about its investigation, but the agency refused to hand over information, saying it does not disclose information about investigations that do not result in charges. The committee then subpoenaed the department for records. After a back-and-forth between department officials and the committee, the department only handed over "publicly reported information about the testimony of a deceased individual," according to the committee's report. The report said Gaetz was "uncooperative" throughout the committee's investigation. He provided "minimal documentation" in response to the committee's requests, it said. "He also did not agree to a voluntary interview." DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP : Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play .
Hailee Steinfeld’s Net Worth: How Much Money the Actress Makes in 2024As digital transformation efforts continue across industries, there is perhaps no more crucial business function within the modern enterprise than the IT team. From plugging gaps within organizational technology stacks, to ensuring flawless user experiences every step of the way, shoring up distributed endpoint estates and helping modernize operations while cutting costs, the role IT teams play is critical. In today’s rapidly evolving technical world, IT departments can only be as successful as the technology and solutions that they deploy, however. As customer expectations increase, alongside a widening digital landscape fraught with nightmarish risk, it’s critical that business leaders choose to partner with trusted software providers that meet expectations while catering to individual needs. It’s this mantra that inspired Sal Sferlazza, CEO and co-founder of automated endpoint management platform provider, NinjaOne, to launch the company and shake up the industry more than a decade ago. Founded in 2013, NinjaOne automates the hardest parts of IT, delivering real-time visibility, security, and control over all endpoints. The solution is used by more than 20,000 IT teams in over 120 countries globally. With a portfolio of services spanning remote monitoring and management (RMM) software, patch management, mobile device management (MDM), backup services and more, the company caters to all needs. However, in an increasingly competitive marketplace, what differentiates NinjaOne is its tireless approach to customer engagement and support. The company places a strong focus on fostering close collaborative ties with both enterprise end-users and managed service providers (MSPs) to provide support across the breadth of the IT supply chain. Outlining the company’s manifesto , Sferlazza specifically notes the shared values that NinjaOne has with the MSPs it works with. “MSPs care about value to their customers and driving efficiency and profitability –characteristics that are the cornerstone of the NinjaOne culture,” Sferlazza says. “When we started NinjaOne, we knew that MSPs have been long underserved. We wanted to build a cloud-first, next generation platform that was simple, easy to use, secure, and highly scalable.” NinjaOne’s approach in this regard has earned it a reputation as a highly trusted, leading IT services provider – and one that boasts a 98% Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) score. However, the company isn’t content resting on its laurels, and as NinjaOne continues to grow, Sferlazza says the organization wants to “make sure we stay close to the roots that have made us successful”. This includes building on strong industry relationships and maintaining strong investment in its product portfolio and customer support offerings, all while continuing to move upmarket. For example, the company currently overinvests in customer support by up to three-times the industry average, according to Sferlazza, but he wants to take this further. An old-school philosophy for modern business Continuous investment in technology remains a key goal at NinjaOne, enabling it to continue providing best-in-class services for organizations of all sizes. This approach centers on what Sferlazza describes as an “old-school philosophy”. “We build the features and products that persuade customers to join our platform and never want to leave,” he says. NinjaOne is constantly iterating on its to ensure that customers are getting maximum value out of its offerings. Engagement with industry stakeholders and partners is essential here, both to ensure the company maintains a varied product portfolio and to gauge ecosystem sentiment on tooling as it rolls out. NinjaOne’s public product roadmap, for example, draws upon a combination of end-user engagement and expert analysis of industry trends and requirements. “We talk to customers a lot,” Sferlazza says. “We hire subject matter experts, including ex-MSP product managers who intimately understand your pain.” All told, NinjaOne has rolled out over 250 features, enhancements, and product updates so far across 2024, with each of these specifically guided by direct customer feedback, the company says. Thoughtful innovation in the age of AI “Endpoint management is hard,” says Sferlazza. With this in mind, it’s critical that IT teams have the support of trusted software providers and associated partners to drive IT and business success. , for example, shows around 70% of employees use at least two endpoint devices each day. , 77% of organizations have experienced a cyberattack that started via an exploit of an unknown, unmanaged, or poorly managed endpoint. In other words, the risks associated with unmanaged devices are significant, and so too are disparate devices. NinjaOne is conscious of the challenges faced here, therefore tool consolidation has been a key focus as part of its engagement with partners and customers. “We have the discipline to know when to build vs. partner on products. Even with tool consolidation, we recognize that we can’t build everything. This is why for security we partner with world class security products.” Sferlazza explains. Now, with the advent of generative AI, the company is taking an intentional approach. While the technology has huge potential for enterprises, Sferlazza says NinjaOne is keen to avoid product development for the sake of product development. Avoiding hype here and curating finely-tuned, enterprise-ready tools will be vital to future success. “We build thoughtfully and intentionally,” he says. In October, NinjaOne announced fresh investment in the technology, unveiling its . This new feature offers users AI-powered sentiment analysis capabilities to inform patch management processes. The tool will provide IT teams with detailed insights on when best to deploy patches, as well as features to help identify if patches contain potential flaws. The launch of this new feature represents another step toward improving endpoint and patch management efficiency – a process that has traditionally been laborious due to the need for IT teams to manually monitor, research, and test patches. Looking ahead, Sferlazza says the company’s goal is to continue investing in its platform and product portfolio to “ensure customer happiness”. This includes bringing to market new features and products aimed specifically at streamlining development and maintenance - further delivering on the company’s promise to “automate the hardest parts of IT” for customers. “10+ years later, we’re still founder-owned and led, and our north star continues to be delivering a world-class user experience for our customers,” says Sferlazza. After all, today’s IT organizations set the tone for the modern enterprise. With all this in mind, seamless endpoint management, always-on support and enablement, and partners deeply committed to customers’ success are critical for building a resilient and lasting IT strategy – and fueling a more successful business – in the year ahead.
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By Justine Irish D. Tabile, Reporter AUTOMOTIVE SALES may hit 500,000 units next year as lower interest rates and upcoming elections spur economic activity, according to the Federation of Automotive In dustries of the Philippines, Inc. “We can hit that (target) in 2025, and the growth factors will be the election, interest rates that are starting to go down, plus the economy is again most likely to grow by another 5-6%,” Vicente T. Mills, the federation’s president, told reporters last week. “But the demand for vehicles is still there because the fleet is still old, so there’s fleet replacement, and then, of course, fleet growth because gross domestic product will go up,” he added. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) started its easing cycle last August, cutting rates by 50 basis points to 6%. More cuts are expected in 2025 as inflation is expected to stay within the 2-4% target range. Economic managers are targeting 6.5-7.5% gross domestic product growth for 2025, and 6.5-8% from 2026 to 2028. Mr. Mills said that compared with Thailand and Indonesia, the local vehicle density is still lower per population, which explains the still huge local demand. “So, it will really go up; it is just that our countrymen do not have enough buying power... but now that the central bank is bringing down the interest rates, it will be more affordable,” he said. “And as business improves, they will start to buy. And naturally, as the economy improves, vehicle population improves because that’s how it is. It goes together,” he added. Mr. Mills said sales growth next year will also be driven by commercial vehicles, which comprised 73.77% of the total industry sales as of October. A joint report by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. and the Truck Manufacturers Association showed that total industry sales reached 384,310 in the first 10 months, up 8.9% from 352,971 in the same period last year. Broken down, sales of commercial vehicles reached 283,501 units as of October, up 7.8% from the 262,875 units sold in the same period last year, while the industry sold 100,809 units of passenger cars, which represented an 11.9% increase from 90,096 last year. Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan said the auto industry could reach its sales target if the BSP continues to cut policy rates. “Lower inflation and interest rates could help reach the target... as this would effectively lower the cost for borrowing across the board,” said Mr. Limlingan in a Viber message. Toby Allan C. Arce, head of sales trading at Globalinks Securities and Stocks, Inc. said that the launch of new models could drive sales growth. “Fresh and diverse vehicle offerings, including EVs (electric vehicles), hybrids, and fuel-efficient models, could attract a broader customer base and stimulate demand,” Mr. Arce said in a Viber message. “Favorable government policies or tax incentives for EVs and other eco-friendly vehicles may catalyze market growth, especially as environmental sustainability becomes a focus,” he added. Despite the positive outlook for the automotive sector, Mr. Mills said road tra ff ic remains an issue. “That is another problem. Infrastructure and mass transit must improve. But still, in all countries, vehicles for individuals and for commercial vehicles are still going up,” he said. According to Mr. Arce, the improvement of road networks will help to increase the demand for new vehicles. “Ongoing infrastructure projects improving road networks could encourage consumers to invest in private vehicles for convenience,” said Mr. Arce. “As urban areas expand, the need for personal transportation could rise, bolstering sales in the automotive sector,” he added.A U.S. appeals court has halted enforcement of an anti-money laundering law that requires corporate entities to disclose the identities of their real beneficial owners to the U.S. Treasury Department ahead of a deadline for most companies to do so. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals late Thursday reinstated a nationwide injunction that had been issued earlier this month by a federal judge in Texas who had concluded the Corporate Transparency Act was unconstitutional. The order marked a change of course for the court. On Monday, a three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit at the urging of the U.S. Department of Justice put the injunction on hold while the government appealed the Texas judge's decision. But a different panel will ultimately decide whether to uphold the judge's ruling, and in Thursday's order, the court said it decided to keep enforcement of the law paused "to preserve the constitutional status quo while the merits panel considers the parties' weighty substantive arguments." Most companies had before Thursday's order faced a Jan. 13 deadline to submit their initial reports to the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Invest wisely: Best online brokers The injunction had been obtained by the National Federation of Independent Business, which along with several small businesses challenged the law through lawyers at the conservative Center for Individual Rights. Holiday week stocks: The stock market is slumping today. Why is the 'Santa rally' over? "Given that we have established that the CTA is likely unconstitutional, this intrusive form of government surveillance should be halted until the law's fate is finally resolved," Todd Gaziano, the Center for Individual Rights' president, said in a statement. FinCEN did not respond to requests for comment. Under the law, which was enacted in 2021, corporations and LLCs were required to report information concerning their beneficial owners to FinCEN, which collects and analyzes information about financial transactions to combat money laundering and other crimes. The measure's supporters said it was designed to address the country's growing popularity as a venue for criminals to launder illicit funds by setting up entities like limited liability companies under state laws without disclosing their involvement. U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant in Sherman, Texas, on Dec. 3 ruled Congress had no authority under its powers to regulate commerce, taxes and foreign affairs to adopt the "quasi-Orwellian statute" and that it likely violated states' rights under the U.S. Constitution's Tenth Amendment. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama
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