Florida attorney Joel Leppard, who represents the women involved, sat down with ABC News' Juju Chang ... and he revealed his clients spoke with Congressional Ethics Committee investigators about their interactions with Gaetz -- which they say included repeated paid sexual encounters.

As we told you yesterday, Leppard detailed in the interview one of his clients testified in July 2017 seeing Gaetz having sex with her friend -- when the latter was only 17 and the former Congressman was 35. Leppard also said the 2 women testified they were paid for sex by Gaetz via Venmo.

Leppard noted ... "Her understanding was that Matt Gaetz did not know that she was a minor and, that when he learned she was a minor, that he broke off things and did not continue a sexual relationship until she turned 18."

Leppard said in newly released video their interactions with Gaetz were not limited to house parties ... alleging the politician also paid for the 2 women to attend elections events -- and to come to NYC in 2019, where they watched his appearance on Fox News and attended "Pretty Woman: The Musical" on Broadway.

Gaetz has denied the allegations and he has not been charged, as the Justice Department decided against doing so. A Congressional Ethics Committee report was scheduled to be released Friday, but Gaetz resigned his position 2 days earlier when he was nominated for attorney general. There are conflicting calls in Washington, D.C. about whether to release the report.