Will the House Ethics Report on Matt Gaetz Be Released?

Photo: Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trump He has been steadily announcing the names of his new administration, which includes typical Republican politicians like Rep. Elise Stefanik and Sen. Marco Rubio, as well as wildcard options like a Fox News commentator. Pete Hegseth or Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. But no nomination has generated as much excitement on both sides of the aisle as Trump’s naming of Representative Florida. Matt Gaetz As U.S. attorney general.

A staunch ally of Trump, Gaetz was immediately a controversial choice between his significant lack of legal experience compared to past attorneys general and his penchant for antagonizing congressional colleagues regardless of party affiliation. The Florida congressman has long been embroiled in multiple ethics investigations, including a Justice Department investigation into whether he had sexual relations with a 17-year-old boy and traveled out of state with her, which could constitute sex trafficking. Although ultimately the federal government ended its investigation The House Ethics Committee filed no charges against Gaetz. revived his own investigation In 2023 after deferring to the agency.

The committee’s investigation, which also examined whether Gaetz used illegal drugs or misused campaign funds, was put to a vote Friday on whether to release its report on the congressman. But that decision was quickly disrupted when Gaetz formally tendered his immediate resignation from the House of Representatives on Wednesday, removing himself from the panel’s jurisdiction. Since then, the committee’s meeting on Friday canceled.

Although the committee can no longer impose punishment on the former member, many in Congress have urged the group to continue releasing the report, citing its increased importance now that Gaetz is Trump’s nominee for attorney general. “The order and timing of Mr. Gaetz’s resignation from the House raises serious questions about the contents of the House Ethics Committee report. We cannot allow this valuable information from a bipartisan investigation to be hidden from the American people,” said Dick Durbin, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. expression.

Others argue that the committee’s findings are no longer valid after Gaetz leaves the House. “The Ethics Committee is not a judicial body, there is no legal process there. It’s just a committee. It appears Mr. Gaetz is no longer in Congress, so it seems to me that it’s nobody’s business,” said Rep. Scott Perry. Policy.

Speaker of the Assembly mike johnson He told reporters on Friday that he was not in favor of releasing the report and planned to convey his position to the committee. “I will strongly request that the Ethics Committee not release the report because that is not the way we do things in the House and I think it would set a terrible precedent,” he said. CNN.

While the committee’s final decision remains unclear, there is no official rule preventing the publication of an ethics report about the resigned member. Previously, the committee had issued reports to the former Representative. William Boner As Representative in 1987 Donald Lukens In 1990.

It is also possible that the report could be leaked if the committee decides not to publish it.