Shady Things About Matt Gaetz, Revealed By His Former Friends & Classmates

Former Representative Matt Gaetz resigned from his political position in late 2024 after a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations against him of sexual misconduct, illegal drug use, and more, but to some of his past classmates and friends who shared the untold truth of Gaetz and what he's really like, the situation wasn't too surprising. 

Back in June 2021, soon after it was first announced that Gaetz was being investigated, his old college classmates had a lot to say about his shady past behavior. Business Insider talked to many of his fellow former students at William & Mary Law School, with one calling the allegations against Gaetz "embarrassing to the institution." An ex-classmate remembered Gaetz's party boy lifestyle, claiming, "He's always been kind of a frat boy." He would hold parties at the house where he lived near campus, and in an email Insider obtained, Gaetz invited people to his Super Bowl party, promising "gambling endeavors," alcohol, and more. The message included a request for "strippers," but a college friend claimed Gaetz was simply joking. The politician's past as a partier likely isn't surprising to others as well, especially since many people have seen Gaetz's mugshot from 2008 for suspicion of driving under the influence. 

A different college classmate claimed that Gaetz is "not really the person you want to point to as a role model," while others had slightly harsher opinions of the politician. For another alum, while they weren't surprised about the partying allegations, they were surprised about the accusation that he had sex with a minor, but not for the reason you might think. Instead, they were stunned he didn't "check their references," noting Gaetz "has a very high sense of self-preservation" and was always concerned about his reputation.

Around the same time that Matt Gaetz's former college classmates were asked about his past by Business Insider, so were some of his high school classmates, and they didn't have much higher opinions of the politician, joining plenty of celebrities and politicians who hate Gaetz. One even called him an "emotional vampire," as in, he sucks away their energy when he talks to them. When someone would see him, they'd think, "Oh, God, here comes Matt."

Others remembered his tendency to argue with people and never admit defeat. He was on the debate team, and a very successful member, but he couldn't seem to control his abrasive nature, even threatening a girl who got into the prestigious Dartmouth debate camp after they got into a fight. A classmate recalled, "He was, like, 'You don't speak like that to me, or I'm going to call my dad and have him call some people at Dartmouth so your admission gets withdrawn." His father is a successful businessman and Republican politician, and this allegedly made Gaetz feel like he was above everyone else. "We were just ants," as classmate Kira Bloechl described it.

Another alum from his high school added to this depiction, saying he was "loud" and he "thought he was smarter than the teacher," while more classmates remembered Gaetz getting into fights, including an argument that ended with a physical confrontation in the hallway. Aside from one person praising his skills in debate and another debate team member who got along with him, no former high school classmates had anything nice to say about him, painting a pretty negative picture of Gaetz as a person.