Democratic lawmakers are working to force a vote on releasing the results of the House Ethics Committee's report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).
Rep. Sean Kasten (D-Ill.) introduced a bill Tuesday afternoon that would require the entire House to vote on whether to release the Gates report.
He introduced it as a “privileged resolution” to force House leaders to consider the legislation within two days, setting a deadline of Thursday.
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Former Congressman Matt Gaetz is the subject of a multi-year investigation by the House Ethics Committee. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
The House Ethics Committee's multiyear investigation into Gates, which includes allegations of sex with minors and illegal drug use, comes hours after President-elect Donald Trump nominated him for attorney general. It was suddenly suspended last month after he resigned as a member of parliament.
Gaetz was removed from consideration after quiet but steady Republican opposition, but Gaetz's departure from the House still meant the committee lost jurisdiction over the investigation.
His resignation came just before a committee was scheduled to meet to consider the report's publication.
Gates has consistently denied accusations of wrongdoing.
A previous federal investigation into the allegations ended without charges against Gaetz.
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Rep. Sean Kasten aims to force a vote on committee report (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
It is highly unusual for the House Ethics Committee, usually shrouded in secrecy, to release a report on a retired lawmaker. That's a detail House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) brought up when he told reporters last month that he opposed releasing the report.
But as Kasten pointed out Tuesday, it's not unprecedented.
“The Ethics Commission has issued numerous reports regarding former members,” Kasten said in a statement. “No member of Congress should be allowed to avoid accountability for allegations as serious as those faced by Matt Gaetz by resigning from Congress. Withholding this report from the American people… It would undermine the dignity and integrity of the House's legislative process.”
Kasten introduced a similar resolution last month, but his office said it was allowed to expire by House Republican leaders over the Thanksgiving holiday.
The House is scheduled to be in session from now until Friday, and the new resolution will not be easily withdrawn.
Rep. Susan Wilde, the top Democrat on the Ethics Committee, hinted last month that the vote to release the bill failed along party lines. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The last day to consider the resolution is Thursday, the same day the Ethics Committee will meet after failing to reach an agreement to release the Gates report.
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The committee's top Democrat, Rep. Susan Wilde (D-Pennsylvania), implied that the vote to do so was along party lines.
“I would say the vote was taken. As many of you know, this committee is evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, five Democrats, five Republicans. So… That means someone has to cross party lines to actively move forward.'' And vote for the other side — which, by the way, often happens, we vote unanimously.'' Wilde told reporters after the last meeting. “That didn't happen with today's vote.”
