Members of the House Committee on Ethics are deadlocked over releasing a report on their investigation into Attorney General-designate Matt Gaetz, the panel’s top Republican and Democrat said Wednesday.
Representative Michael Guest (R-Miss.) told reporters that the 10 members reached “no consensus on releasing a report” in the investigation into whether Gaetz violated congressional rules against sexual misconduct and illegal drug use, among other crimes. Has been violated.
Before the committee’s closed-door meeting that lasted more than two hours, Guest said he had “hesitancy” about releasing the report, which he called an “unfinished work product” and still in the “final review” stage. .
Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.) moments later accused the guest of pointing out that the panel had agreed not to release the report and revealed that the committee would meet again on Dec. 5 for further discussion.
The panel needed only one GOP vote to make the report public, but Wild confirmed that the committee was divided along party lines.
Florida Pole, who was investigated but not charged by the Justice Department following allegations of underage sex trafficking, has vehemently denied all allegations and said they are “invented and committed perjury to Congress.” Will give” and “They should be viewed with great suspicion.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) announced Wednesday that he will introduce a privileged motion to force the release of the report if the Ethics Committee refuses to do so.
“The allegations against Matt Gaetz are serious. They are reliable. The House Ethics Committee has spent years conducting a thorough investigation to get to the bottom of this, Casten said in a statement. “This information must be made available to the Senate to provide constitutionally required advice and consent.”
Privileged motions must be brought to a vote within two legislative days, although measures can be introduced by a simple majority.
Wild had previously advocated for the release of the Gaetz report, pointing to the precedent of other incomplete committee findings presented in the past.
Former Representative Bill Bonner (D-Tenn.), who resigned from Congress in October 1987 to run for Nashville mayor, released a report two months later detailing his relationship with a government contractor Was.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has shot down that notion, saying the post-term report on lawmakers could “open a Pandora’s box.”
Witnesses to the federal investigation have testified before the House Ethics Committee — including a woman who reportedly told lawmakers she saw the then-Republican congressman having sex with a 17-year-old girl at a party in July 2017.
The woman and an associate further alleged that Gaetz paid more than $10,000 to Venmo in exchange for sex, ABC News reported late Tuesday.
Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have indicated they would like to hear testimony from those witnesses when considering President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for AG.
Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), a member of the committee, said, “To do our job, we need to have access to all the information, but we also need to protect the President from any surprises that could harm his administration.” Can deliver.” ,
Senate Judiciary Democrats separately on Wednesday asked FBI Director Christopher Wray to turn over interview reports for any witnesses in the Gaetz investigation.
The Florida Republican resigned from the 118th Congress on Nov. 13, just hours after Trump, 78, nominated him for attorney general — bringing the Ethics Committee investigation to an abrupt halt.
(TagstoTranslate)Politics(T)US News(T)House Ethics Committee(T)Matt Gaetz(T)US House of Representatives
