Members of the House Committee on Ethics deadlocked on releasing a report of its investigation into attorney general-designate Matt Gaetz, the panel’s top Republican and Democrat said Wednesday.
Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.) told reporters that the 10 members reached “no agreement on releasing the report” into the probe of whether Gaetz violated congressional rules against sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, among other transgressions.
Prior to the committee’s closed-door meeting, which lasted more than two hours, Guest said he had “reservations” about releasing the report, which he called an “unfinished work product” and still in the “final review” stages.
Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.) accused Guest moments later of implying the panel had agreed not to release the report and revealed the committee would reconvene Dec. 5 for further discussion.
Only one GOP vote was needed for the panel to make the report public, but Wild confirmed the committee was split along party lines.
The Florida pol, who was investigated but not charged by the Justice Department following allegations of underage sex trafficking, has vehemently denied all allegations, saying they “are invented and would constitute false testimony to Congress” and “should be viewed with great skepticism.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) announced Wednesday that he will introduce a privileged motion to force the report’s release if the Ethics committee declines to do so.
“The allegations against Matt Gaetz are serious. They are credible. The House Ethics Committee has spent years conducting a thorough investigation to get to the bottom of it,” Casten said in a statement. “This information must be made available for the Senate to provide its constitutionally required advice and consent.”
Privileged resolutions must be brought up for a vote within two legislative days, though the measures can be tabled by a simple majority.
Wild had previously advocated for the Gaetz report’s release, pointing to the precedent of other unfinished committee findings being produced in the past.
Former Rep. Bill Boner (D-Tenn.), who resigned from Congress in October 1987 to run for Nashville mayor, had a report put out two months later detailing his relationship with a government contractor.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has thrown cold water on the notion, saying post-term reports on lawmakers could “open a Pandora’s box.”
Witnesses from the federal probe have testified to the House Ethics Committee — including one woman who allegedly told lawmakers she saw the then- Republican congressman having sex with a 17-year-old at a July 2017 party.
That woman and an associate further alleged that Gaetz had made Venmo payments to them in exchange for sex, with the transactions amounting to more than $10,000, ABC News reported late Tuesday.
Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have indicated that they would like to hear testimony from those witnesses while vetting President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for AG.
“In order to do our job, we need to get access to all the information, but also to protect the president against any surprises that might damage his administration,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a member of the committee.
Senate Judiciary Democrats separately asked FBI Director Christopher Wray Wednesday to hand over interview reports for any witness 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’s investigation to a screeching halt.