The House Ethics Committee is set to unveil its highly anticipated report on Monday regarding former Rep. Matt Gaetz, putting an end to a protracted investigation concerning allegations of engaging in sexual misconduct with minors and using illegal substances during his time representing Florida as a Republican lawmaker.
This much-awaited disclosure follows a recent confidential vote where one Republican member sided with all five Democrats on the committee, agreeing to make public the report on their past coworker. This decision was made despite initial objections from GOP members, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, who were against releasing any findings related to a former Congress member.
Although it is a rarity for ethics reports to be made public after a member has stepped down, this case is an exception. Gaetz has consistently refuted any accusations of malpractice, asserting just last week that he would not be able to challenge or counter the conclusions since he is no longer a part of the House.
On Monday, Gaetz filed a lawsuit seeking to block the report’s release, saying it contains “untruthful and defamatory information” that would “significantly damage” his “standing and reputation in the community.” Gaetz’s complaint argues he’s no longer under the committee’s jurisdiction since he resigned from Congress.
“The Committee’s position that it may nonetheless publish potentially defamatory findings about a private citizen over whom it claims no jurisdiction represents an unprecedented expansion of Congressional power that threatens fundamental constitutional rights and established procedural protections,” Gaetz’s lawyers wrote in their request for a temporary restraining order.
The often secretive, bipartisan panel has investigated claims against Gaetz since 2021. However, its work became more urgent last month when President-elect Donald Trump picked Gaetz as his attorney general nominee. Gaetz resigned from Congress that same day, putting him outside the purview of the Ethics Committee’s jurisdiction.
But Democrats had pressed to make the report public even after Gaetz was no longer a member and had withdrawn as Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department. A vote on the House floor this month to force the report’s release failed; all but one Republican voted against it.
___
Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.
Denver 7+ Colorado News Latest Headlines | December 23, 7am
