The House of Representatives has rejected a bid from the Democrats force the release of an ethics report to former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., on Thursday evening.
Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., has filed a measure known as a “privileged resolution” to make the Gaetz report public, a maneuver that would force House leaders to pass a resolution within two legislative days .
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives voted to refer Casten’s resolution to the relevant committee for consideration. However, it is highly unlikely that a Republican Party-controlled committee would take this up, meaning the move essentially negates the Democrat’s efforts.
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Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., speaks during a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee President-elect Trump on Oct. 12, 2024, in Coachella, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Gaetz abruptly resigned from Congress last month in a now-failed bid to become newly elected President Donald Trump’s next attorney general.
His resignation also came just before the House Ethics Committee was set to consider the release of its report to the Florida Republican Party.
The panel had spent years investigating allegations against Gaetz involving sex with a minor and illegal drug use.
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President-elect Donald Trump appointed Gaetz as his attorney general, but that has since collapsed. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
But the jurisdiction ended when Gaetz left Congress, and Republicans have shown little appetite to break tradition and issue a report on someone who has left Congress.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters last month that he opposed releasing the report.
“I don’t believe this is appropriate. It doesn’t follow our rules and traditions and there is a reason for that. That would open Pandora’s box and I don’t think that’s healthy for the institution,” he said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., opposed releasing the report. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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Meanwhile, the House Ethics Committee has met twice since Gaetz’s resignation and failed both times to reach an agreement on whether to release the report.
The most recent meeting took place hours before Thursday’s vote.
Gaetz, for his part, has consistently denied any wrongdoing. A federal investigation into the allegations ended without charges against Gaetz.
