Nearly 100 House Dems Urge Release of Gaetz Report

Close to 100 House Democrats signed a letter on Tuesday urging the House Ethics Committee to release their draft report on allegations of misconduct by former Rep. Matt Gaetz.

The letter was sent to committee Chair Michael Guest, R-Miss., and was led by Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., and ranking member Susan Wild, D-Pa. "Given the seriousness of the charges against Representative Gaetz, withholding the findings of your investigation may jeopardize the Senate's ability to provide fully informed, constitutionally required advice and consent regarding this nomination," the lawmakers wrote. "Representative Gaetz's abrupt resignation from Congress should not circumvent the Senate's ability to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities."

Gaetz resigned from Congress last week immediately following his nomination to be attorney general by President-elect Donald Trump. The end of Gaetz's term in Congress also ended the committee's investigation that began in April of 2021 over allegations the congressman engaged in sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old, accepted improper gifts, and sought to obstruct the government investigation into his behavior.

Ninety-seven House Democrats signed the letter referring to other instances in which the committee continued its investigations of elected officials following resignations, noting former Democratic Rep. Eric Massa and former Republican Sen. John Ensign as examples.

Trump's choice of Gaetz has thrown some in D.C. for a loop, as many assumed the president-elect would go for a safer choice, such as Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. In a statement to X announcing his pick, Trump said "Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans' badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department."

Last week, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told CNN that he did not think the committee should issue the report saying it "is not the way we do things in the House, and I think that would be a terrible precedent to set."

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