Rep. Matt Gaetz raised a few eyebrows earlier this week when he issued a statement claiming that the House Ethics Committee is opening “new” investigations targeting him. The Florida Republican did not elaborate as to what, exactly, these probes would entail, though the congressman insisted he’d done nothing wrong.

Soon after, the congressional ethics panel clarified matters, issuing a rare statement explaining that the committee’s original investigation is expanding and intensifying, reviewing a variety of allegations — including claims that he engaged in sexual misconduct and illegal drug use. NBC News reported:

The bipartisan panel, which investigates ethics complaints, said in a lengthy statement that it is also examining whether Gaetz “accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct.”

The House Ethics Committee first launched a probe into Gaetz more than three years ago, though the latest revelations suggest that this investigation is still expanding to include new lines of inquiry.

There’s no shortage of unanswered questions — ranging from what the investigation will find to how possible revelations might affect the far-right congressman’s ambitions — but while the political world waits, Gaetz is responding to the developments in a sadly predictable way:

The Florida Republican is trying to capitalize on the ethics probe with a new fundraising campaign.

In an appeal sent to Gaetz’s donors this week, the GOP congressman wrote, “[Former House Speaker] Kevin McCarthy, working sinisterly behind the scenes with the help of his Uniparty cabal, has orchestrated another wave of attacks — refusing to let go of me EXPELLING him as Speaker.”

To the extent that such details matter, prospective donors who took the letter’s claims at face value made an unwise choice. For one thing, the Ethics Committee’s scrutiny of Gaetz began long before McCarthy claimed the House speaker’s gavel, and there’s nothing to suggest the Californian — who resigned from Congress six months ago — has anything to do with the ongoing investigation.

For another thing, there is no “Uniparty cabal.”

But I’m also struck by the bizarre set of circumstances. A member of Congress finds himself facing an ethics investigation. The probe was launched by a committee chaired by a colleague from his own party. The member stands accused of possibly accepting improper gifts, dispensing special favors, and obstructing government investigations.

All of this, of course, is unfolding in an election year.

In a normal political environment, that member would do everything possible to downplay the probe’s importance and hope voters don’t notice. But in 2024, Gaetz realizes that this isn’t how the game is played anymore. It’s precisely why the Florida Republican feels comfortable effectively telling would-be donors, “I’m facing an ethics mess, so send me money.”