The House of Representatives rejected a Democrat-led effort to force the release of an ethics report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., on Thursday evening. Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., filed a “privileged resolution” to make the report public, but it was defeated before a final vote on a margin of 206 to 198. The House lawmakers voted to refer Casten’s resolution to the relevant committee for consideration, making it unlikely that the report will be released.
Just one Republican, Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., voted with Democrats to table the measure. Gaetz abruptly resigned from Congress last month in a failed bid to be President-elect Donald Trump’s next attorney general. The House Ethics Committee had been conducting a years-long investigation into accusations against Gaetz, but its jurisdiction ended when he left Congress.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he was against releasing the report, citing the House’s rules and traditions. The House Ethics Committee has met twice since Gaetz’s resignation and failed to come to an agreement on whether to release the report. Gaetz has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and a federal investigation into the allegations ended without charges against him.
