Home Republicans on Thursday torpedoed a Democratic-led effort to launch the Ethics Committee’s report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), sending the decision again to the panel.
The choice by the chamber leaves the way forward for the Gaetz Ethics Committee report in query, with Democrats pushing for the physique of labor to be made public, and Republicans repeatedly resisting these makes an attempt.
The matter has been the topic of intense controversy because the former congressman was nominated by President-elect Trump to be lawyer basic, resigned from workplace, withdrew his identify from consideration, after which stated he doesn’t plan to take the oath of workplace in January — a sequence of occasions that performed out in simply 9 days final month.
Regardless of Thursday’s votes, the Gaetz report may nonetheless see the sunshine of day: Home Ethics Committee members met to speak concerning the matter for roughly 2 1/2 hours behind closed doorways shortly earlier than the ground vote and stated they might proceed conversations relating to the problem.
“The Committee met today to discuss the matter of Representative Matt Gaetz. The Committee is continuing to discuss the matter. There will be no further statements other than in accordance with Committee and House Rules,” the panel wrote.
Home Ethics Committee Chair Michael Visitor (R-Miss.) informed reporters after Thursday’s huddle that it was not the final assembly of the group.
Final month, after the Ethics Committee declined to launch its report on Gaetz, Reps. Sean Casten (D-Ailing.) and Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) moved to pressure votes on separate resolutions that will compel the panel to make its physique of labor on the previous congressman public. The pair renewed that effort this week, after Gaetz withdrew his identify from consideration for lawyer basic, setting the stage for Thursday’s votes.
Republicans, nevertheless, motioned to refer these resolutions again to the committee, which shields the chamber from having to vote straight on whether or not to launch the report.
The chamber voted 206-198 to ship Casten’s decision again to the Ethics panel and 204-198 to ship Cohen’s decision to the committee.
Thursday’s Ethics Committee assembly was the second previously month the place the panel — which generally conducts its enterprise in secrecy — gathered to debate the Gaetz report.
The group has been investigating the Florida Republican for roughly 3 1/2 years on allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use. Gaetz was additionally accused of accepting improper presents, meting out particular privileges and favors to people with whom he had a private relationship and in search of to impede authorities investigations of his conduct.
That probe, nevertheless, got here to an abrupt finish after Gaetz resigned from Congress final month, because the panel doesn’t have jurisdiction over former members.
Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing.
The group declined to launch the Gaetz report on Nov. 20 after a vote on the matter led to a tie alongside occasion strains. Democrats pushed for the report’s launch, arguing that it was essential for the knowledge to be public as Gaetz labored to be confirmed within the Senate as lawyer basic. Republicans, in the meantime, argued that the problem was moot as a result of Gaetz is now not a member of Congress.
There’s, nevertheless, some precedent for releasing Ethics Committee studies into former members of Congress. In 1987, the panel launched its report into former Rep. William Boner (D-Tenn.) after he resigned from the Home. And in 2011, the Senate Ethics Committee launched its preliminary report into former Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) after he departed the higher chamber.
The controversy over Gaetz’s report was thrown one other curveball after Gaetz withdrew his nomination from consideration for lawyer basic as his bid appeared more and more doomed amid GOP opposition.
The Justice Division additionally investigated Gaetz over allegations that he had intercourse with a 17-year-old woman. He has denied the allegations and the division declined to cost him with against the law.
