Nearly 100 House Dems press Ethics panel to release Gaetz report

• Democrats expect the five Republican members of the panel, which is evenly split between the two parties, to block the report's publication.
• The committee was looking into allegations of sex trafficking, accepting improper gifts and illicit drug use — which Gaetz has denied — but the probe abruptly ended when Gaetz resigned last week.

Driving the news: The letter to Ethics Committee Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) and ranking member Susan Wild (D-Pa.) was signed by 97 House Democrats, led by Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.).

• The lawmakers wrote that it is "critical that Senators have all the information necessary to consider Mr. Gaetz's nomination" for attorney general.
• "Representative Gaetz's abrupt resignation from Congress should not circumvent the Senate's ability to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities," they added.

Zoom out: It's not just Democrats — even some Senate Republicans have said they want to see the report before they vote Gaetz's nomination.

• House Republicans, meanwhile, are no fan of their former colleague and expect the report to contain damaging details that could derail his bid.

Yes, but: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has firmly opposed the release of the report, saying Gaetz is now a "private citizen" and thus no longer under the panel's jurisdiction.

• Johnson's stance has created pressure for Republicans on the panel to follow his lead.