WASHINGTON — On Thursday, the House effectively halted Democratic attempts to make public the long-anticipated ethics report concerning former Representative Matt Gaetz, casting further doubt on the future of the lengthy investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against him.
The votes, largely split along party lines, came after persistent calls from Democrats to have the findings disclosed, despite the fact that the Florida Republican has already exited Congress and stepped down from his nomination as Donald Trump’s attorney general. Only Rep. Tom McClintock of California crossed party lines to support the Democrats’ effort.
Many Republicans contended that their scrutiny of Gaetz should come to a halt following his resignation from the House. Speaker Mike Johnson voiced concerns about setting a concerning precedent should the committee proceed to release the detailed report.
While there have been instances in the past where ethics reports were made public after a member’s departure, such occurrences are quite uncommon.
Just prior to the voting, Rep. Sean Casten, a Democrat from Illinois who sponsored one of the bills aimed at unveiling the report, asserted that if the Republicans dismiss the request for release, they will have effectively buried credible allegations of sexual misconduct. Gaetz has continuously denied the accusations against him.
Earlier in the day, the Ethics Committee convened to address the contents of the Gaetz report but did not arrive at a decision, issuing a brief statement that indicated the discussion would continue. With only a few weeks remaining before the start of a new congressional session, it remains uncertain whether the report will be disclosed at all.
This development marks the climax of weeks of increasing pressure on the committee, which is comprised of five Democrats and five Republicans who primarily operate behind closed doors as they investigate allegations against lawmakers.
Interest around the Gaetz inquiry escalated last month when he took the unexpected step of resigning from Congress after Trump expressed his desire to have Gaetz in his Cabinet. Generally, once a congressional member resigns, investigations are wrapped up. However, Gaetz’s situation was distinct because of his potential involvement in a new administration.
Committee Chairman Rep. Michael Guest, a Republican from Mississippi, stated on Wednesday that the urgency to disclose the report has diminished since Gaetz’s departure from Congress and withdrawal from the attorney general nomination.
“I’ve held a firm stance on this. He is no longer a member of Congress and therefore will not be confirmed by the Senate given that he pulled his nomination,” Guest explained.
The report relating to Gaetz has also fueled friction among the bipartisan committee members. Rep. Susan Wild from Pennsylvania, the leading Democrat on the panel, publicly criticized Guest last month for allegedly misrepresenting a prior meeting to the media.
Gaetz has maintained his innocence and previously noted that a separate investigation by the Justice Department concerning charges of sex trafficking involving underage girls concluded without any federal charges being filed against him.
One of Gaetz’s former political allies, Joel Greenberg, a Republican who served as the tax collector in Seminole County, Florida, accepted a plea deal in 2021, admitting to paying women and an underage girl for sex with him and others. The identities of these men were not disclosed in the court documents at his guilty plea. Greenberg was subsequently sentenced to 11 years in federal prison in late 2022.
