Although the House of Representatives voted along party lines in November not to release their ethics report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), it now turns out they reportedly took another secret vote in early December and came to a different conclusion.
They plan to release it:
The report is now expected to be made public after the House’s final day of votes this year as lawmakers leave Washington for the holidays, those sources said.
Gaetz retired from Congress after he was named as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general. However, he pulled himself out of the running soon after when some senators indicated they would not vote for his confirmation.
Related: Matt Gaetz Withdrawal: Why It Happened, and What Comes Next
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) had previously spoken out against releasing the report:
What I have said with regard to the report is that it should not come out. And why? Because Matt Gaetz resigned from Congress. He is no longer a member.
There’s a very important protocol and tradition and rule that we maintain that the House Ethics Committee’s jurisdiction does not extend to non-members of Congress. I think that would be a Pandora’s box. I don’t think we want the House Ethics Committee using all of its vast resources and powers to go after private citizens.
“The president and I have literally not discussed one word about the ethics report. Not once.”
.@SpeakerJohnson lays out why he opposes the release of a House Ethics Committee report on Attorney General pick former Rep. Matt Gaetz. pic.twitter.com/gQbvi7LoMh
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) November 17, 2024
The move is unusual:
The decision to release the report suggests that some Republicans ultimately decided to side with Democrats on the matter, and it is unclear if the committee will once again change course now that it has voted.
It is exceedingly rare for an ethics report to be released after a member has left Congress, though it has happened on a couple of occasions in the past. The committee revisited the issue behind closed doors earlier this month after a feud over the report spilled into public view before Thanksgiving.
The Ethics Committee looked into allegations against Gaetz concerning drugs and sexual misconduct. Gaetz has vigorously denied all the accusations and has characterized the investigation as a witch-hunt. A federal investigation into his activity ended with no charges being brought against him.
The Biden/Garland DOJ spent years reviewing allegations that I committed various crimes.
I was charged with nothing: FULLY EXONERATED. Not even a campaign finance violation. And the people investigating me hated me.
Then, the very “witnesses” DOJ deemed not-credible were…
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) December 18, 2024
Then, the very “witnesses” DOJ deemed not-credible were assembled by House Ethics to repeat their claims absent any cross-examination or challenge from me or my attorneys. I’ve had no chance to ever confront any accusers. I’ve never been charged. I’ve never been sued.
Gaetz recently announced that he will be joining One American News Network in January and says that, despite his exit from Congress, he intends to keep battling for conservative causes and Donald Trump:
“I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress,” he told Charlie Kirk in an interview last month.
“I’m going to be fighting for President Trump. I’m going to be doing whatever he asks of me, as I always have. But I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress,” he said.
The report could be released as soon as Thursday.
