House Panel Reportedly Voted In Secret To Release Matt Gaetz Ethics Report
After a secret vote earlier this month, the House Ethics Committee decided to reverse course and publicly release its report on accusations of sex trafficking and other alleged misconduct by former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), according tomultipleoutlets.
The document will reportedly be released after the final day of House votes this term — meaning it could come out as soon as Thursday.
A full House vote on whether to make the report public failed Dec. 5, largely along party lines.
The ethics investigation came after a former friend of Gaetz pleaded guilty to paying a minor for sex and pointed federal investigators to the Florida congressman, who is unpopular even within his own party. The Justice Department began investigating Gaetz for alleged sex trafficking but closed its probe without filing any charges in 2023.
The House Ethics Committee’s report is therefore the best opportunity for the public to learn about what Gaetz may or may not have done, as his political future remains up in the air.
Gaetz abruptly resigned his seat in November when President-elect Donald Trump named him as his pick for attorney general — positioning Gaetz to lead the department that once investigated him.
It became clear over the following weeks, however, that he did not have the support he needed among Republicans in the Senate for confirmation; senators of both parties said they were eager to see the ethics report.
Trump subsequently announced that he intends to nominate Pam Bondi, the former Florida state attorney general.
Gaetz reacted angrily to the news of the report’s release on social media, emphasizing how he has never been charged over the alleged crimes.
The Biden/Garland DOJ spent years reviewing allegations that I committed various crimes.
I was charged with nothing: FULLY EXONERATED. Not even a campaign finance violation. And the people investigating me hated me.
Then, the very “witnesses” DOJ deemed not-credible were…— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) December 18, 2024
“In my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated — even some I never dated but who asked,” he wrote. “I NEVER had sexual contact with someone under 18. Any claim that I have would be destroyed in court — which is why no such claim was ever made in court.”
He added: “My 30’s were an era of working very hard — and playing hard too.”
CNN was first to report the news of the ethics report’s pending release, citing multiple unnamed sources.
Gaetz, who just won re-election in November, has said that he does not intend to return to his seat on Capitol Hill. He has a new gig lined up to host a political talk show on One America News, the conservative cable network.
