Johnson calls for disciplinary action over Gaetz Ethics report leaks
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House Ethics Committee ranking member Susan Wild (D-PA) arrives at a Capitol Hill meeting on Nov. 20, 2024.(Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said there "ought to be repercussions" for anyone who leaked information related to the unreleased Ethics Committee probe into former Rep. Matt Gaetz's (R-Fla.) conduct.
Why it matters: The leaks, which have allegedly been traced to the panel's ranking member, Susan Wild (D-Pa.), could set a dangerous precedent if left unpunished, Johnson told Axios Tuesday
- "In my opinion, there ought to be repercussions for that," Johnson said in a hallway interview. "We can't set that as a precedent. It's dangerous."
- Johnson said he had not discussed the prospect of disciplinary action with House Ethics Chairman Michael Guest (R-Miss.) and did not elaborate on what he thought might be appropriate.
The latest: Guest told Axios later Tuesday that he hasn't spoken to Johnson for "a couple of weeks" but would be "happy to" discuss the situation allegedly involving Wild.
- But with Wild's pending departure from Congress in January, Guest said lawmakers "would be limited on anything that could possibly be done within the Ethics environment."
- Another House Republican close to GOP leadership told Axios they doubt there is time for any repercussions to occur.
Driving the news: Citing anonymous sources,The Hill newspaper reported Monday that Wild was absent from the panel's meeting Thursday after being traced as the source of press leaks regarding the Gaetz investigation.
- Whether she skipped the gathering of her own accord remained unclear, according to the outlet, which cited two sources saying Wild ultimately acknowledged to the panel that she had leaked information.
- Wild's office declined to comment, though her chief of staff denied The Hill's reporting that leaks were the reason for her absence from last week's Ethics Committee meeting.
- The committee was investigating Gaetz for a litany of allegations including sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, all of which he denies.
The big picture: Amid a dispute over whether releasing a report dealing with the actions of a former member would break precedent, the Ethics panel deadlocked in November, thus keeping the Gaetz report under wraps.
- The full House last week beat back a Democratic effort to make the report public.
- Gaetz resigned his House seat when President-elect Trump tapped him as his attorney general nominee before later withdrawing himself from consideration.
- Johnson came out against the report's release following Gaetz's resignation.
What they're saying: Gaetz took a public jab at Wild, tweeting late Monday that she, "leaked false allegations about me which were so unfounded that they were rejected by the Biden DOJ."
- Gaetz's attorneys said last year they'd been informed that the Justice Department would not bring charges against the lawmaker over sex trafficking allegations.
- Moderate GOP lawmakers have asserted that if Gaetz — who is set to start hosting a show on One America News network — snags a different senior role in Trump's administration, they could force another vote to release Ethics' findings.
