Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) will resign from Congress “effective immediately” after being nominated to function legal professional common by President-elect Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) introduced on Wednesday.
The resignation — which was introduced hours after Gaetz obtained the legal professional common nod — was described by Johnson as a technique to pace up the method of filling the Home Republican’s seat to minimize the impacts of being one member down within the slim GOP majority subsequent yr.
However the bigger affect of the resignation is that the Home Ethics Committee investigation into Gaetz, which was in its closing levels, might be successfully useless. The panel may have no jurisdiction to analyze Gaetz since he’s now not a member of Congress, and its findings could by no means see the sunshine of day — a serious boon for Gaetz as he prepares to face an already-skeptical Senate.
“Once a member is no longer a member of Congress, then Ethics has no jurisdiction,” Home Ethics Committee Chair Michael Visitor (R-Miss.) informed reporters on Wednesday, after Gaetz obtained the legal professional common nod. “So if Matt Gaetz were to be appointed as the attorney general, the Ethics investigation that is currently ongoing would cease at that point.”
The Home Ethics Committee was investigating whether or not Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, amongst different allegations. The congressional probe into Gaetz was opened in 2021, shortly after information stories emerged that the Division of Justice (DOJ) was reportedly investigating whether or not he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old woman.
Gaetz has vigorously denied allegations of wrongdoing, and the DOJ declined to cost him with a criminal offense. In September, Gaetz stated he would “no longer voluntarily participate” within the “nosy” Ethics probe and wouldn’t adjust to its subpoena, accusing the panel of asking him for a listing of grownup girls with whom he’d had intercourse over the past seven years.
Johnson stated he was undecided if the Ethics Committee will launch a report on Gaetz given its lack of jurisdiction now that he’s now not in Congress.
Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio), a vocal critic of Gaetz, had informed reporters earlier on Wednesday that members had been trying ahead to Gaetz’s Ethics Committee findings being aired in Senate affirmation hearings.
“It’s going to be very interesting to see what comes out. And a lot of us are excited to see what comes out, because it’s possible they could be used in a very good manner,” Miller stated, suggesting that Gaetz may very well be expelled from the Home.
Resigning may very well be dangerous for Gaetz. He nonetheless faces Senate affirmation, which many in Congress are uncertain may come to fruition after quite a lot of senators instantly expressed bafflement concerning the choose.
Johnson on Wednesday night stated the Florida Republican determined to depart the Home early to hurry up the method to switch him, with hopes that his successor could be determined by the point the brand new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3. Home Republicans are on monitor to have a razor-thin majority subsequent yr, which is about to slim much more as Trump continues nominating Home Republicans for his administration.
Johnson stated Gaetz’s resolution to resign early “caught us by surprise a little bit.” He stated he known as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Wednesday to debate plans to fill the vacant seat. Florida state regulation permits DeSantis to set the timeline for changing Home members by way of particular elections.
“I think, out of deference to us, he issued his resignation letter effective immediately, of Congress,” Johnson stated. “That caught us by surprise a little bit, but I asked him what the reasoning was and he said, well, you can’t have too many absences, so under Florida state law there’s about an eight-week period to select and fill a vacant seat.”
Johnson stated he’s hopeful the seat may very well be stuffed by Jan. 3, when the brand new Congress is sworn in.
“I’ve already placed a call to Gov. DeSantis in Florida and said let’s start the clock. He’s in Italy at the moment and so we’re gonna talk first thing in the morning about this. And if we start the clock now, if you do the math we may be able to fill that seat as early as Jan. 3 when we take the new oath of office for the new Congress,” Johnson said. “So Matt would’ve done us a great service by making that decision as he did on the fly, and so we’re grateful for that.”
Up to date at 7:37 p.m.
