A Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., has introduced a bill to force a vote on releasing the results of the House Ethics Committee’s report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. The resolution is a “privileged resolution,” which means it must be considered by House leaders within two legislative days, with a deadline of Thursday.
The House Ethics Committee has been investigating Gaetz for several years, with allegations of sex with a minor and illicit drug use. Gaetz has consistently denied the allegations. The investigation was halted last month after he resigned from Congress and became the subject of a new federal investigation, which did not result in charges.
The House Ethics Committee is rarely transparent, and it’s unusual for it to release reports on lawmakers who have left office. However, Casten argued that releasing the report is necessary to hold Gaetz accountable for the allegations.
In a statement, Casten said, “Resigning from Congress should not allow members to avoid accountability for allegations as serious as those faced by Matt Gaetz. Withholding this report from the American people would impede the dignity and integrity of the legislative proceedings of the House.”
This is not the first time Casten has attempted to release the report. He introduced a similar resolution last month, but it was allowed to expire by House GOP leaders. The new resolution is expected to be a higher priority, as the House will be in session until Friday.
The vote on releasing the report is likely to fall along party lines, with Democrats supporting its release and Republicans opposing it. In a previous meeting, the top Democrat on the Ethics Committee, Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., hinted that the vote fell along party lines.