House Ethics Committee to meet Wednesday amid debate over Gaetz report

Members of the House Ethics Committee will meet Wednesday, a source confirmed to The Hill, as the panel weighs whether it should release its report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), whom President-elect Trump plans to nominate to serve as attorney general.

The source, however, cautioned that the huddle may be delayed, since details about the meeting leaked early Monday morning.

The panel scrapped plans to gather this past Friday for an unclear reason. House Ethics Committee Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) told Politico the meeting had been postponed, not canceled.

A spokesperson for the Ethics Committee declined to comment.

The debate over whether the panel should publish its report on Gaetz is heating up in the Capitol. Lawmakers from both parties are calling for its release for the sake of transparency and ahead of confirmation hearings, while others — including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) — argue the final product should remain private because Gaetz is no longer a member of Congress.

Johnson reaffirmed that position Sunday.

“What I have said with regard to the report is that it should not come out. And why? Because Matt Gaetz resigned from Congress. He is no longer a member,” Johnson told CNN’s “State of the Union” in an interview. “There's a very important protocol and tradition and rule that we maintain that the House Ethics Committee's jurisdiction does not extend to nonmembers of Congress. I think that would be a Pandora's box.”

The committee — which is known for conducting its business in secrecy — had been investigating for roughly three years whether Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, among other allegations. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing.

The probe came to an abrupt end when Gaetz left the House on Wednesday, since the panel does not have jurisdiction over former members of Congress. But the committee can still release its report into Gaetz if it wishes, a move that is rare but not unprecedented; in 1987, the panel released its report into former Rep. William Boner (D-Tenn.) after he has resigned from Congress.

Such a move would require a majority vote on the panel.

Lawmakers who sit on the Ethics Committee have been mum about how they plan to handle the question of releasing the report.

The panel was initially scheduled to meet Friday of last week and vote on releasing it, a plan that was set before Trump announced Gaetz as his attorney general pick and the Florida Republican immediately resigned from Congress on Wednesday.

Some members have questioned whether Gaetz left the House early to stop the investigation from advancing.

“It’s very suspicious that he all of a sudden resigned, because other members who are being nominated for posts have not resigned,” Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.) said last week.