House Ethics Committee Voted SECRETLY to Release Gaetz Report — Will Be Released Soon

The House Ethics Committee voted secretly to release the much-anticipated investigatory report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), CNN reported on Wednesday.

Gaetz was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to be the next attorney general and resigned from Congress before dropping his bid. It was a controversial nomination because of his extremely thin résumé for the gig and the way he had burned many a bridge with his GOP congressional colleagues.

But it was Gaetz’s alleged entanglement in a sprawling series of schemes and crimes — including accusations about illegal drug use, bribes, and allegations he sexually trafficked a 17-year-old girl — that brought the most noise to his nomination path. A House Ethics Committee investigation was opened into the allegations and rumors about the “highly damaging” contents of the committee’s report have been swirling for months.

Gaetz has denied all wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crimes so far, but the situation was too messy for both the Senators who balked at consenting to his nomination and the president-elect who has other controversial nominees to get across the finish line. Mediaite’s Diana Falzone reported last month that Gaetz had “misled” Trump’s team “about the extent of the misconduct allegations” against him.

Still, speculation continued about the House Ethics report and whether or not it would ever be released. It would be an unusual move to release a report about a former member of Congress — and one opposed by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) — but not without precedent. The release would, however, require several Republicans on the committee to cross party lines and vote to unveil the report’s contents.

CNN’s Alayna Treene reported Wednesday morning on the news that “multiple sources with knowledge of the matter” had told CNN the committee had voted secretly to release the report.

The CNN.com report added:

The report is now expected to be made public after the House’s final day of votes this year as lawmakers leave Washington for the holidays, those sources said.

The vote, which has not previously been reported, amounts to a stark reversal for the panel after it had voted along party lines in late November not to release the results of the investigation. The decision to release the report suggests that some Republicans ultimately decided to side with Democrats on the matter, and it is unclear if the committee will once again change course now that it has voted.

Treene, along with chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju, appeared on CNN News Central Wednesday to break the news.

“Now we are told that this report is expected to be made public once this session of Congress ends and lawmakers leave Washington to return home for the holidays,” said Treene. “But I think the timing of this is very notable. We know that when the committee first voted last month not to release this report, Matt Gaetz was still Donald Trump’s pick to be his attorney general. Since then, he has withdrawn his name from consideration.”

Treene added that the committee had previously said they were investigating whether Gaetz had “engaged in sexual misconduct, whether he used illicit drugs, and also whether he shared inappropriate images or videos on the house floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, accepted a bribe you had improper gratuity or impermissible gifts.”

Gaetz did win re-election to his seat in the November elections, but announced he did not intend to return to Congress in January, leaving it an open seat. A special election has been set for April 1, 2025. With a Cook Political Rating of R+19 in 2024, Florida’s first congressional district is the most heavily Republican district in the state and one of the most deep-red in the entire country, meaning that the January primary is where the real fight will be to fill the seat.

As for Gaetz’s own plans, news broke earlier this month that he was expected to join the pro-Trump cable network One America News Network as an anchor.

Trump replaced Gaetz with another Floridian, the state’s former Attorney General Pam Bondi, to nominate to head the Department of Justice.

This is a breaking news story and has been updated.

UPDATE 10:45 am ET: Gaetz responded to the anticipated release of the report with a statement he posted on X, formerly Twitter.

The full text of Gaetz’s statement:

The Biden/Garland DOJ spent years reviewing allegations that I committed various crimes.

I was charged with nothing: FULLY EXONERATED. Not even a campaign finance violation. And the people investigating me hated me.

Then, the very “witnesses” DOJ deemed not-credible were assembled by House Ethics to repeat their claims absent any cross-examination or challenge from me or my attorneys. I’ve had no chance to ever confront any accusers. I’ve never been charged. I’ve never been sued.

Instead, House Ethics will reportedly post a report online that I have no opportunity to debate or rebut as a former member of the body.

In my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated – even some I never dated but who asked. I dated several of these women for years. I NEVER had sexual contact with someone under 18. Any claim that I have would be destroyed in court – which is why no such claim was ever made in court.

My 30’s were an era of working very hard – and playing hard too.

It’s embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life. I live a different life now.

But at least I didn’t vote for CR’s that fuck over the country!

Watch the clip above via CNN.