The House Ethics Committee has voted to release its report on former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz’s conduct in a stunning reversal.
CNN and Fox reported Wednesday on the move, with the report expected to be made public after the House’s final day of votes this week, as Congress heads into its holiday break and wraps up this session.
The same committee had voted along party lines last month to keep the report secret after President-elect tapped Gaetz, a top MAGA Congressional ally, to serve as attorney general.
Gaetz pulled out of the process after it was determined his bid wouldn’t get through the Senate, with Trump replacing him with former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The Florida congressman resigned from Congress in mid-November after being named as Trump’s attorney general pick and later said he wouldn’t retake the Florida congressional seat that he won in the November 5 general election.
It’s rare that an Ethics Committee report would be released after a member resigned from Congress and the decision to release it means some Republicans changed their votes and sided with Democrats on making the findings public.
The Ethics Committee investigation was a years-long look into allegations against Gaetz including sexual misconduct, whether the Florida Republican used illicit drugs and whether he ‘shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor.’
It also examined whether he ‘misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gifts,’ according to a description of the investigation released last summer.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he’s against the release of the report since Gaetz already resigned from Congress – but he can’t prevent the report’s release.
A number of members of Congress have expressed that they believe Gaetz quit to bury the report.
In a long-winded X post, Gaetz proclaimed that his name had already been cleared by the Department of Justice.
He admitted that his behavior had been ’embarrassing’ but not ‘criminal.’
‘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,’ he posted to X Wednesday following the news reports that the ethics report would be released.
Gaetz charged that ‘the very “witnesses” DOJ deemed not-credible’ were used by the House Ethics committee to smear him.
‘I’ve had no chance to ever confront any accusers,’ he wrote. ‘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,’ the former Florida congressman complained.
Gaetz acknowledged that he sent money to women he dated.
It was reported last month that he paid more than $10,000 to two women who were later witnesses in the sexual misconduct probes carried out by the DOJ and the House Ethics Committee.
‘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,’ he wrote. ‘I NEVER had sexual contact with someone under 18,’ he also said.
‘Any claim that I have would be destroyed in court – which is why no such claim was ever made in court,’ Gaetz added.
Gaetz, 42, who married his wife Ginger Luckey Gaetz in 2021, suggested he was just being an irresponsible bachelor.
‘My 30’s were an era of working very hard – and playing hard too,’ he said.
‘It’s embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life,’ Gaetz continued. ‘I live a different life now.’
‘But at least I didn’t vote for CR’s that f*** over the country!’ he added.
The CR – or continuing resolution – is a short-term spending bill Congress needs to pass before Saturday to avoid a government shutdown.