Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Faces Release of Ethics Committee Report on Sexual Misconduct Allegations
The House Ethics Committee has secretly voted to release a report on its investigation of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use allegations against former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, NBC News reported. The report could be released as soon as the end of this week.
Gaetz, who denied the allegations, lashed out at the panel’s decision, stating that “any claim that I have would be destroyed in court — which is why no such claim was ever made in court.” He added that he “probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life” but claimed that he now lives a different life.
The vote marks a major shift for the bipartisan ethics committee, which deadlocked in November on whether to release the report in light of Gaetz’s resignation from Congress. The committee’s reauthorized investigation was focused on whether Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct.
Gaetz resigned from the House after President-elect Donald Trump picked him to serve as U.S. attorney general, but withdrew his bid as his resignation was overshadowed by allegations of past sexual misconduct and other impropriety.
The Department of Justice had conducted its own probe of sex trafficking allegations against Gaetz, but closed it without filing charges. Gaetz claimed that he was “fully exonerated” and that the ethics panel’s report will not give him an opportunity to debate or rebut the findings as a former member of the body.
The Ethics Committee’s decision to release the report has sparked debate, with some arguing that it sets a “terrible precedent” to share its findings on a person who is no longer part of Congress. However, the committee has released reports on members of Congress after they have resigned in the past.
