The House Ethics Committee is under investigation for an unreleased report related to an investigation into former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, during his appearances on news programs this weekend, called on the House Ethics Committee not to make the contents of the report public and to uphold the practices of Congress.
“I know nothing about the contents of the report because of the way the rules work. Naturally, the Speaker of the House of Representatives cannot put a thumb on the scale or be involved in a report from the Ethics Committee. What I do know is that the comments about the existence of a precedent for releasing reports are not exactly accurate,” Johnson said, according to Fox News.
He argued that since Gaetz is no longer a member of the House of Representatives, releasing the report would violate protocol as the matter is technically out of the hands of the Ethics Commission. But some of his Republican colleagues and many Democrats in the House of Representatives think differently.
Meanwhile, the House Ethics Committee plans to remain quiet until members decide what to do. Should the report be released, Gaetz’s future within the Trump administration could be in trouble.
What are members of the House of Representatives saying about Matt Gaetz?
Gaetz, who was named by President-elect Donald Trump as his nominee for U.S. attorney general, is facing sex trafficking charges. He is also said to have had sexual relations with a minor. The criminal investigation into him has not led to any charges, and the former Florida representative has denied the allegations. He resigned from Congress last week amid the House investigation.
In a post on social media, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said that if Republicans decide to release the report on Gaetz, they should release all ethics investigation reports, claiming her colleagues in Congress are covering up their indiscretions while they ‘pay’. Robbing victims of taxpayer money.”
“To my Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives and the Senate, if we are going to release ethics reports and pick apart ours that Trump appointed, we need to make it all public for the American people to see,” she said.
“Yes… all ethics reports and claims, including those I filed, all your sexual harassment and assault claims that were settled in secret by paying the victims with taxpayer money.”
Former Republican Rep. Peter Meijer of Michigan, a never-Trump Republican who lost his seat in a primary, replied to Greene’s post, saying, “I… find this completely unacceptable?!?”
Meanwhile, Democrats are pressuring the House Ethics Committee to make public its findings on Gaetz.
“We are aware that the Ethics Commission traditionally stops investigating alleged misconduct when a member of Congress resigns. However, there is precedent for the House and Senate Ethics Committees to continue their investigation and release their findings after a member resigns due to scandal,” said the letter, addressed to the chairman of the House Ethics Committee , Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., and ranking member Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., said.
Democrats argue that the Senate must be properly informed during the confirmation process for Gaetz’s nomination as attorney general.
“Given the seriousness of the allegations against Rep. Gaetz, withholding the findings of your investigation may jeopardize the Senate’s ability to provide fully informed, constitutionally required advice and consent regarding this appointment.”
Will Matt Gaetz be confirmed by the Senate?
Wild said she has read the findings, as have others on the Ethics Commission, and believes they should be made public. Gast indicated that his panel will decide what to do with the report after a vote on Wednesday. He has spoken to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, but said Johnson will not influence the Ethics Committee’s decision.
All eyes are on Gaetz, and one thing is clear: he is not well liked among his colleagues. Utah’s Burgess Owens previously admitted that Gaetz “is not a very popular guy because he’s not really a team player.” But Owens said he believes Gaetz is qualified for the job Trump picked him for. ‘He’s very smart, no doubt. He is very persistent. And that is what President Trump wants.”
Gaetz’s nomination hinges on the future Republican majority in the Senate, and so far it appears Gaetz faces an uphill battle. The New York Times reported that Trump believes there is little chance Gaetz will be confirmed, but he is sticking with the nomination.
According to ABC News, Trump transition spokesman Alex Pfeiffer suggested the claims against Gaetz are baseless. “Matt Gaetz will be the next attorney general. He is the right man for the job and will put an end to the weaponization of our justice system,” Pfeiffer said.
“These are baseless allegations designed to derail the second Trump administration. Biden’s Justice Department investigated Gaetz for years and cleared him of wrongdoing,” the spokesperson added.
