Republicans in both chambers are clamoring for the House Ethics Committee to release the results of an investigation against now former Rep. Matt Gaetz, but Speaker Mike Johnson said Friday he would “strongly request” that the committee not do so.
Gaetz was nominated Wednesday to be President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general — sending shockwaves throughout the Capitol. The congressman had been under an ethics investigation for allegations that he sex trafficked a minor (he had previously been the subject of a DOJ investigation but was not charged) Hours after Trump announced the nomination and just days before the Ethics Committee was reportedly going to vote on releasing the report, Gaetz resigned from the House.
Plenty of lawmakers told reporters this week that they wanted to see the report’s findings, especially now that the Senate will need to vote on Gaetz. But Johnson is emphatic that it would be a “breach of protocol” for the committee to release it now that Gaetz isn’t in office. Once a member leaves, the committee no longer has jurisdiction over them.