Rep. Susan Wilde (Pennsylvania), the top Democrat on the House Ethics Committee, was removed from the committee last week after being pursued as the source of leaks to the press about the investigation of former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida). I was absent from the meeting. ), a source told The Hill.
It remains unclear whether Ms Wilde absented herself from Thursday's meeting or was asked not to attend, what information she leaked to whom and how the panel tracked her as the leaker. It is unknown. Mr. Wilde eventually admitted to the committee that he had leaked the information, two people familiar with the matter said.
Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) will serve as acting ranking member during Thursday's meeting, and will have an acting ranking member fill in if a committee member is absent, officials said.
It is also unclear whether the Pennsylvania Democrat, who is scheduled to leave Congress at the end of the year, will attend future Ethics Committee meetings. Panel chairman Rep. Michael Guest (R-Mississippi) told reporters Thursday's meeting was not the last for the group.
Wilde's chief of staff, Jed Ober, said in a statement to The Hill that the lawmaker was absent from last week's meeting because he was “dissatisfied” with the handling of the Gaetz report and that his absence was He said it would be “inaccurate” to characterize it any further than that.
“Member. Mr. Wilde was dissatisfied with the way the report was handled and did not feel it would be beneficial to participate in any further meetings regarding the possible publication of the report.” It would be inaccurate to characterize it as anything more than that. There is no further statement,” Ober said.
Wilde's office declined to comment when asked whether he would attend future Ethics Committee meetings related to the Gates report. A spokeswoman for the Ethics Commission declined to comment.
Mr. Wilde was noticeably absent from last week's Ethics Committee meeting, being the only committee member not to enter the committee room filled with reporters. punch bowl newsShe then reported that she would not be attending.
The committee is controversial because Gates, a Florida Republican, was nominated by President-elect Trump to be attorney general, resigned from the House of Representatives, and had his name removed from Cabinet consideration. A meeting was held to discuss the investigation into. He also said he would not take the oath of office at the next Congress. There is intense debate on Capitol Hill about whether to release the report.
The group called off Thursday's meeting without releasing its report. In a subsequent statement, the commission said it “continues to discuss this issue.”
The ethics committee, known for its secretive work, investigated Gates for about three and a half years, investigating allegations of sexual misconduct and illegal drug use. But the investigation ended abruptly after Gaetz resigned from the House, as the committee has no jurisdiction over former members.
Gates has denied any wrongdoing.
A variety of information about the years-long investigation into Gates has leaked in recent months, including the logistics of the meeting, the votes taken during it, and whether the report will be released days after announcing his resignation. This includes the committee's plan to vote on whether to do so.
Leaks from members or staff violate committee rules. Committee members swear an oath not to disclose unauthorized information.
“I will not share any information received in the course of my service with the Ethics Committee with any person or entity other than the Ethics Committee, except with the permission of the Committee or in accordance with the rules of the Ethics Committee. I solemnly swear (or affirm) not to disclose. According to the rules, the affidavit states: panel rules.
Wild, who has been the top Democrat on the Ethics Committee since 2022, will not return to Congress next year after losing his re-election bid to Republican Ryan McKenzie.
The lawmaker's dissatisfaction with the committee became clear after a meeting last month about the Gaetz report. Guests left the meeting saying there was “no agreement by the committee to make the report public”, which Wilde later characterized as “inaccurate” in remarks to the press.
She accused Mr Guest of “betraying the process by publishing our deliberations so soon after leaving the committee”, which was why he made the comments to the press.
