The Home Ethics Committee, which has been conducting an investigation into sexual misconduct and obstruction allegations towards Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, scheduled a vote for Friday on whether or not to launch its report, in accordance with three sources with data of the committee’s work.
Hours after President-elect Donald Trump stated he deliberate to nominate Gaetz to be legal professional common, Gaetz resigned his congressional seat, efficient instantly.
“I don’t intend to take the oath of workplace for a similar workplace within the 119th Congress, to pursue the place of Lawyer Common within the Trump Administration,” Gaetz stated in his resignation letter obtained by CBS Information
Home Speaker Mike Johnson informed reporters that there was about an eight-week interval throughout which Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis might fill his seat by setting the date for a particular election.
The information of the scheduled vote was first reported by Punchbowl.
Now that Gaetz has resigned, it’s unclear whether or not the panel will vote on releasing the report, since Gaetz is now not in Congress.
There may be precedent in Congress on the Senate aspect for an ethics committee report back to develop into public after a member resigns from Congress, nonetheless. In 2011, this occurred when Sen. John Ensign of Nevada resigned amid allegations that he tried to conceal an extramarital affair.
But it surely’s not clear that that may apply to the Home, leaving open the likelihood that the report on Gaetz wouldn’t be launched.
In June, the Home Ethics Committee launched an announcement saying it was investigating a variety of allegations towards Gaetz, together with sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, and bribery.
A number of sources on the time informed CBS Information that 4 ladies had knowledgeable the Home Ethics Committee that that they had been paid to go to events that included intercourse and medicines, and that Gaetz had additionally attended. The committee has Gaetz’s Venmo transactions that allegedly present funds for the ladies.
Gaetz has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and has known as the committee’s investigation a “frivolous” smear marketing campaign.
A few of the allegations of sexual misconduct below assessment by the committee had been additionally the topic of a earlier Division of Justice probe into Gaetz. Federal investigators sought to find out if Gaetz violated intercourse trafficking and obstruction of justice legal guidelines, however no fees had been filed.
The Home Ethics Committee resumed its investigation into Gaetz in 2023, following the Justice Division’s choice to not pursue fees towards him.
Gaetz has lengthy blamed then-Home Speaker Kevin McCarthy, additionally a Republican, for the probe. And Gaetz later led the motion to sack McCarthy as speaker.
