House Ethics Committee votes against releasing Matt Gaetz report
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
The House Ethics Committee will not release its report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) after Republicans on the panel voted against making the findings public.
Why it matters: Gaetz is President-elect Trump's nominee to run the Justice Department as attorney general. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) publicly opposed the report's release, arguing it would break precedent because Gaetz has resigned from Congress.
- "There was not an agreement by the committee to release the report," Ethics Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) told reporters leaving Wednesday's meeting.
- The 10-member panel, which is evenly split between Republicans and Democrats — voted along party lines, according to a person familiar with the matter, falling short of the majority vote needed to compel the report's release.
The big picture: Gaetz resigned his House seat shortly after Trump's announcement, raising questions over whether the findings could be made public.
- Multiple Senate Republicans have said they want to see the report stemming from allegations of sexual misconduct with minors as they prepare to consider whether to confirm Gaetz as the nation's top law enforcement officer.
The intrigue: Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and repeatedly slammed the investigation as politically motivated retaliation for his effort to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).
- Gaetz notes that the Department of Justice opted not to pursue charges following its investigation.
- Gaetz allies, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), heavily pushed against the prospect of the report's release.
- Trump is whipping Republican senators to rally behind the controversial former lawmaker, making personal calls to skeptics as he pushes for Gaetz to get the support needed to be confirmed.
The bottom line: Multiple GOP lawmakers have speculated that the findings ultimately will likely be leaked.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
