Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz allegedly broke the law when he failed to list how much he profited from sales of his book, Firebrand, according to recent reports.
Gaetz's office defended the politician, claiming they needed "additional documentation" from the publisher.
When pressed for comment, a spokesperson said his office was "in the process of receiving that information and amending the Congressman's financial disclosure."
Firebrand was published over a year ago and it is only now that Gaetz's financial disclosures have been updated.
His office claims he made $25,000 off a memoir that sold fewer than 6,000 copies, and he gave 30% of that profit to Sergio Gor, his agent.
As The Daily Beast, which broke the story, noted:
"Hardcover copies were originally listed for $27—new ones now go for less than $10—and you can still pick up an ebook for $14.99. To match his disclosure, a $27 price tag would come out to about 2,200 units sold."
"But even at the low end of $10 a pop, Gaetz would have sold fewer than 6,000 copies of Firebrand across several months."
Gaetz's failure to disclose how much he made from the sales of Firebrand is a campaign finance violation.
It has attracted the attention of governmental watchdog group Citizens for Ethics in Washington (CREW).
What makes the book's failure all the more embarrassing for Gaetz is that he spent so much time promoting it, at one point receiving endorsements from former President Donald Trump.
Gaetz was harshly criticized––and many have questions about whether entities might have profited from the sales of his book.
The controversy over Gaetz's book sales only adds to his legal woes.
Federal authorities are investigating Gaetz on child sex trafficking charges after it emerged the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched a probe into whether he paid a 17-year-old girl and took her across state lines for sexual purposes.
Gaetz denied allegations he violated sex trafficking laws and engaged in other sexual misconduct while in office by citing the age of consent.
Nor is Gaetz the only politician to have run afoul of campaign finance laws in recent weeks.
Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert has drawn the ire of the feds for not disclosing her husband's income from an energy firm.
Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz's financial disclosures are also under scrutiny after findings from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) suggested his campaign spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to land his own book on the bestseller lists.
@IrnaEnglish/X
