Rep. Michael Visitor (R-Miss.), the chair of the Home Ethics Committee, instructed The Hill on Tuesday that the panel met this week and doesn’t have any extra gatherings scheduled for the 118th Congress, signaling that it’s achieved deliberating on its report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).
“We met earlier this week and we don’t have any additional meetings currently set right now,” Visitor stated.
Visitor didn’t disclose whether or not the committee met on Monday or Tuesday, nor what they mentioned, because the panel goals to conduct its enterprise in secrecy. He declined to remark when requested if the committee held one other vote on releasing the Gaetz report. Visitor did, nonetheless, say the panel may schedule a further assembly if one thing comes up and the necessity for one arises.
The Hill spoke with Visitor after he met with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in his workplace. Visitor wouldn’t element what they mentioned. The Speaker’s workplace and a spokesperson for the Ethics Committee declined to remark.
Information of this week’s Ethics Committee assembly, and no extra gatherings on the schedule, sign that the panel is completed with its work for the 118th Congress, which in current weeks has been dominated by the heated debate concerning whether or not the group ought to launch its report into Gaetz. The final week of scheduled session for the Home within the 118th Congress is subsequent week.
The Ethics Committee has been investigating Gaetz for roughly three-and-a-half years, trying into allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing.
That probe, nonetheless, got here to an abrupt halt after Gaetz resigned from Congress to be President-elect Trump’s lawyer common, which he later withdrew his identify from consideration for. Gaetz has stated he is not going to take the oath of workplace for the 119th Congress.
His nomination sparked bipartisan strain on the panel to launch its physique of labor on the Florida Republican.
The Ethics Committee met twice prior to now month to debate the Gaetz report, breaking from the gatherings with out releasing the report. The group held a vote on releasing the report throughout the first of the 2 conferences, which failed.
After final week’s huddle, the panel wrote in a press release that it was “continuing to discuss the matter,” and Visitor instructed reporters that assembly was not the group’s final.
On Tuesday, nonetheless, Visitor instructed The Hill that the group held its last gathering this week, although he famous that the panel may organize a further assembly if one thing have been to rise to their consideration.
“There are no meetings scheduled right now. If there is a need for an additional meeting then we can in short order get the members together and meet. But with next week being the last week in session, we don’t have any additional, regular scheduled meetings,” Visitor stated.
The obvious finish of the panel’s deliberations over the Gaetz report comes after Home Republicans final week torpedoed an effort by Democrats to compel the committee to publish its findings into Gaetz.
Reps. Sean Casten (D-Unwell.) and Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) pressured votes on their resolutions calling on the committee to launch its data on Gaetz, which the chamber voted to consult with the committee.
Visitor’s feedback additionally cap off what has been a noteworthy few weeks for the Ethics Committee: Rep. Susan Wild (Pa.), the highest Democrat on the panel, was absent from final week’s assembly after being traced because the supply of leaks to the press concerning the Gaetz investigation, The Hill beforehand reported. Visitor wouldn’t remark if Wild was current at this week’s assembly.
Up to date at 8:10 p.m. EST.
