A.G. Gancarski
Potentially good news is closing the week regarding former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s next move.
The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is trying to put the brakes on a document that could harm Donald Trump’s pick for Attorney General.
“I’m going to strongly request that the Ethics Committee not issue the report because that is not the way we do things in the House,” Rep. Mike Johnson told POLITICO. “And I think that would be a terrible precedent to set.”
Ethics Chair Michael Guest isn’t saying yet whether a draft document will be shared with the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The Committee will examine the Panhandle Republican’s job qualifications and personal history.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn said he “absolutely” wants full disclosure on the House probe, insisting “there should not be any limitations on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation, including whatever the House Ethics Committee generates.”
The House Ethics Committee inquiry was still probing whether Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct or illegal drug use and whether he granted special favors to romantic interests.
In June, Gaetz proclaimed his innocence in matters declared resolved.
“The House Ethics Committee has closed four probes into me, which emerged from lies intended solely to smear me,“ Gaetz posted on X. “Instead of working with me to ban Congressional stock trading, the Ethics Committee is now opening new frivolous investigations. They are doing this to avoid the obvious fact that every investigation into me ends the same way: my exoneration.”
The allegations go back to a widely reported sex scandal involving Gaetz that stemmed from a probe of crimes by former Seminole County Tax Collector and Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg.
The New York Times in March 2021 first reported on a Justice Department investigation into whether Gaetz had ever illegally sex-trafficked a minor across state lines. However, federal prosecutors in February of 2023 ultimately decided not to charge Gaetz with any crime.
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Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics contributed to this report.
8 comments
PeterH
November 15, 2024 at 12:17 pm
The ethics committee has a responsibility to tell the American people their findings. Leak the document if necessary.
The Speaker is fully aware that if Matt Gaetz applied for ANY JOB at the FBI he would be turned away.
FLPatriot
November 15, 2024 at 12:28 pm
GOP hiding the truth.
A Day without MAGA
November 15, 2024 at 12:31 pm
GOP cannot handle the truth
CW
November 15, 2024 at 12:28 pm
If releasing the results of the House Ethics Committee investigation show no impropriety by Rep. Gaetz it should be a non issue. I suspect there is a lot of damaging information being kept from the American public. The political games being played are quite disgusting.
A Day without MAGA Rapist
November 15, 2024 at 12:30 pm
You can scratch Hegseth Kennedy and Gaetz Making Rape Great Again Google Hegseth Sexual Assaults Google RFK Jr Sexual Assaults Gaetz
JD
November 15, 2024 at 1:20 pm
If he has nothing to hide, release the f@cking report. Puss!es.
They know Gaetz is dead to rights. This feels like Hitler is in control.
Tell me how it would not benefits the American people to release the report? How does it square? You all got nothing. Circle the wagons around the rest of the crooks like the mafia.
Cat 5 Sara
November 15, 2024 at 1:40 pm
They have a Cuban help Trump with his deportation scheme, when 10 of thousands of Cuban are being deported back to Cuba,where Rubio outrage, Mexican are not like Cuban,they travel back and forth to Mexico Google Cuban Deportation
Skeptic
November 15, 2024 at 1:40 pm
Releasing a report that displays the unethical conduct of a nominee to be Attorney General of the U.S. is not the way things are done in the Republican controlled people’s house. Sounds about right.