The House Ethics Committee’s report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz doesn’t just detail long-anticipated conclusions about his conduct. It also suggests a Gaetz butterfly effect, where the committee’s investigation ties into the downfall of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
On April 27, 2023 — less than a month before the Ethics Committee restarted its investigation into Gaetz — Gaetz told CNN that he would give McCarthy “an ‘A,’” as far as how he was doing as speaker.
“I don’t give it lightly. I think he’s done a good job,” Gaetz told CNN at the time.