A bipartisan House Ethics Committee panel draft has found that former U.S. Republican congressman Matt Gaetz regularly paid for sex, illegal drugs and sexual relations with an underage girl even while in office as a lawmaker.

According to the New York Times, the panel report, which is expected to be released in final form on Monday, uncovered that Mr Gaetz regularly paid women for engaging in sexual activity with him between 2017 and 2020.

Mr Gaetz, who was President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general before he voluntarily withdrew from consideration, engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl in 2017. 

The committee found that Mr Gaetz used or possessed illegal drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy, “on multiple occasions,” which he referred to as “life of the party” in multiple emails. 

The Times reported that he also received expensive gifts, including transportation to and lodging in the Bahamas, over permissible amounts, the Times reported. 

“Representative Gaetz has acted in a manner that reflects discreditably upon the House,” the draft report stated.

Subsequently, the committee concluded that Mr Gaetz violated state sexual misconduct laws, including Florida’s statutory rape law but did not find sufficient evidence that the 42-year-old breached federal sex trafficking laws.

They also found that he violated House rules regarding gifts and misused his official office.

“Although Representative Gaetz did cause the transportation of women across state lines for purposes of commercial sex, the committee did not find evidence that any of those women were under 18 at the time of travel, nor did the committee find sufficient evidence to conclude that the commercial sex acts were induced by force, fraud, or coercion,” the panel wrote.