Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida)'s term in Congress may be over, but the controversy over the House Ethics Committee's report on the years-long investigation into him is in its final stages.
Two Democratic lawmakers who pushed for a vote to force the Ethics Commission to release its report have indicated they intend to continue pushing for a vote, potentially increasing the number of votes on the issue this week. And the Ethics Commission itself is scheduled to meet again on Thursday, where the Gaetz issue is almost certain to come up.
The result will be either a blockbuster public release of the report or a slamming of the door and secrecy.
The committee investigated Gates on charges including sexual misconduct, illegal drug use and accepting inappropriate gifts. Gaetz has strongly denied any wrongdoing, including allegations that he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl. The Justice Department declined to prosecute Gaetz after investigating similar issues.
The Ethics Commission, which typically has no jurisdiction over former lawmakers, refused to release its incomplete report in November, shortly after President-elect Trump nominated Gaetz to be attorney general. Gaetz has since withdrawn from consideration for a cabinet position, but said he would not return to Congress.
Ranking Member Susan Wilde (D-Pennsylvania) said the vote to release the report, which required the support of at least one Republican, was along party lines.
However, the committee voted to formally “complete” the report, sources told The Hill. He suggested the report would be “ready” by the next scheduled meeting on Dec. 5 and a vote could be held on whether to make it public.
“Once it's released, you're all going to devour it,” the source said, referring to reporters before Gates withdrew his name. “So it has to be done right.”
But Gaetz's withdrawal from the list of attorney general nominees could change the calculations for committee Republicans who may have considered releasing a final report at their Dec. 5 meeting, and the entire House There is a possibility that more weight will be given to efforts to force the Attorney General's review. Report release.
After the committee refused to release its findings verbatim, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) and Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) each pushed for disclosure of the Ethics Committee's report. They moved to force votes on individual resolutions they requested.
Even after Gaetz withdrew from consideration, Cohen and Kasten still said they would seek House action on the resolution, and a full House vote on the issue could come this week.
“He could be appointed to a position in the Trump administration…and it could be such a job that it's important for the public to know about this report.” Cohen said on MSNBC. After Gaetz pulled his name from the attorney general's post, the committee is investigating whether he used his office to give special privileges to people with whom he had personal relationships. He also mentioned that.
Kasten said in a statement that he “welcomed it,” but said:[d]Regarding the news that Gaetz had withdrawn from consideration, he said, “It remains important that Gaetz's report be made available to the American people.”
House Republicans are likely to move on to consider the resolution or refer it to a committee, which would effectively nullify the effort if it succeeds.
Forced release of the report would require the support of at least a small number of Republicans. And with many House Republicans openly hating Gaetz, crossover support for Gaetz's release is possible.
Congressman Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) told CNN In November, he announced his support for a move to disclose the ethics committee report.
“I think it's really important for everyone to have as much knowledge as possible so they can make informed decisions,” Van Orden said.
Another House Republican also told The Hill before withdrawing Gaetz's name that he supported voting to release the ethics report.
However, much of the push to release the report was in the name of making information public because he was in the cabinet deliberations, and his withdrawal could potentially change the minds of those members.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) had publicly argued against releasing the report even before Gaetz withdrew his name. Amid Gates' nomination for attorney general, he argued that it was inappropriate to release an ethics investigation into non-members, even though Republican senators had called for the report to be made public.
Such sentiments also appear to exist within the Ethics Committee itself.
Rep. Michael Guest (R-Mississippi), chairman of the House Ethics Committee, told CBS News that now that Gaetz is no longer a candidate for attorney general, there are concerns about whether a report on Gaetz should be released. “This should put an end to the debate,” he said.
“He has withdrawn his nomination. He is no longer a member of Congress. Therefore, I believe that the Ethics Committee's involvement in any matter involving Mr. Gaetz will be resolved by him,” the Florida congressman said shortly after withdrawing his nomination. Mr. Guest said. consideration.
Although rare, there is precedent for ethics committees releasing reports on former members.
In 1987, the committee released a report on former Rep. William Bonner (D-Tenn.) after he resigned from the House. And in 2011, the Senate Ethics Committee released a preliminary report on former Sen. John Ensign (R-Nevada) after he left the Senate.
Contributed by Michael Schnell.
