Almost 100 House Democrats push for release of Gaetz Ethics report
Nearly 100 House Democrats wrote to the House Ethics Committee urging them to publish its report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and their investigation into his alleged misconduct after President-elect Trump nominated him to serve as attorney general.
“We are writing today to request that you immediately release the Ethics Committee’s report into allegations of serious misconduct by former Congressman Matt Gaetz,” the Democratic lawmakers wrote Tuesday in a letter led by Rep. Sean Casten (Ill.).
The lawmakers argue it’s “critical” the Senate has all the information necessary as they consider Gaetz’s nomination.
Gaetz resigned from the House last week, just hours after Trump tapped him to be the next attorney general.
The former Florida congressman has denied wrongdoing in the years-long investigation into the allegations that he had a sexual relationship with a minor. The Department of Justice closed its investigation last year and did not press any charges.
Pressure is mounting on the committee, with lawmakers asking for more information to be made public before they vote on his nomination.
Members of the committee will meet Wednesday as they weigh whether it will release its report about Gaetz, since they typically don’t make findings public for a former lawmaker.
The Democrats noted in the past, the committee has released its findings in certain situations even after a member has resigned.
“We strongly believe that this situation meets or exceeds those standards,” they wrote in the letter. “This is not a partisan issue.”
“Given the seriousness of the charges against Representative Gaetz, withholding the findings of your investigation may jeopardize the Senate’s ability to provide fully informed, constitutionally required advice and consent regarding this nomination,” the Democrats wrote.
Some Republican lawmakers, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), are opposed to the information becoming public.
Earlier Tuesday, a hacker gained access to witness testimony related to investigations into Gaetz. An unidentified person downloaded information on Monday afternoon, and the file included 24 exhibits and is reported to include testimony from a woman who said she had sex with Gaetz when she was 17 years old.
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