Scandal Sparks Side Gig

One day after withdrawing his name from consideration for U.S. attorney general, former Congressman Matt Gaetz has embarked on an unconventional new venture: creating personalized videos on Cameo, a platform where celebrities connect with fans for a fee.

Gaetz joined Cameo on Friday, coinciding with his announcement that he would not return to Congress in January despite his recent re-election. Initially charging $250 per video, his rate had climbed to $525 by Saturday afternoon, according to a report from Semafor. The move has sparked curiosity, with Gaetz even linking to his Cameo profile in his bio on X.

This career pivot comes amid a whirlwind period for the Florida Republican. Last week, after former President Donald Trump nominated Gaetz for U.S. attorney general, Gaetz resigned from Congress, effectively halting a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use. Gaetz, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, had previously seen a Justice Department probe into sex trafficking allegations against him dropped without charges.

The timing of the committee's findings became a contentious issue among lawmakers. While Gaetz’s allies sought to keep the report private, others within his party expressed interest in reviewing it before his confirmation hearing. Now that Gaetz is no longer in the running for attorney general, the pressure to release the report may subside.

Gaetz isn’t the first Republican to turn to Cameo in the wake of controversy. Former Congressman George Santos also leveraged the platform after being expelled from the House following an ethics probe. Santos’s Cameo earnings reportedly outpaced his congressional salary, with Cameo CEO Steven Galanis revealing to Yahoo News, “Santos surpassed $174,000 in his first week.”

Gaetz's success on Cameo remains to be seen, but the move highlights how embattled public figures are finding ways to monetize their notoriety.