‘Black mark’: Legislators fume over Ethics’ Gaetz report debacle
The panel was unable to reach a consensus on the release of the report Wednesday, but they are set to reconvene to discuss the issue on Dec. 5.
TroibNews 
Matt Gaetz is once again throwing the House into turmoil.
The House Ethics Committee has reached a standstill regarding the release of the findings from an investigation into the former Florida lawmaker, who is Donald Trump's candidate for attorney general. This stagnation has sparked anger among Democrats, who claim the committee is unnecessarily prolonging the process, while Republicans are frustrated with Gaetz for putting them in this difficult situation.
In an effort to compel the release of the Ethics report, which is anticipated to address several allegations, including claims that Gaetz engaged in sexual conduct with a minor, Democratic Representatives Sean Casten and Steve Cohen are proposing motions that would bring the matter before the full House.
Conservative supporters of Trump and Gaetz are warning of repercussions if such a motion proceeds, yet some Republicans still express a desire for the report to be disclosed. Amid the chaos, expelled Rep. George Santos, who recently faced scrutiny in another Ethics Committee report, visited the Capitol to confront Chair Michael Guest on behalf of Gaetz.
“If he runs away from me, I'll go stand in front of his office and scream at him, through his door,” Santos proclaimed, as he loitered outside the building searching for Guest.
This turmoil serves as a stark indication of how Trump's anticipated return to Washington is unsettling the dynamics of Capitol Hill, pressuring Republican lawmakers to navigate a series of urgent and high-stakes decisions regarding the integrity of the legislative branch.
“This is awful,” remarked Rep. Joe Morelle. “It's a black mark on the House of Representatives.”
A number of House and Senate Republicans are pushing for the report to be released—a request that some reiterated following a recent Ethics Committee meeting that yielded no decisive outcomes. Another meeting is scheduled for December 5.
When asked if he still believed the report should be forwarded to the Senate, even if Republicans on the Ethics Committee opposed its release, Rep. Don Bacon stated, “The Senate deserves to have it, so they can make a good decision.”
At the same time, Democrats intend to prevent the GOP from burying the results of the Gaetz investigation, a tension that could pose a serious threat to the Ethics Committee's credibility. Rep. Susan Wild of Pennsylvania, the committee's ranking Democrat, accused Guest of having “betrayed the process” by implying to reporters that the decision not to release the report was conclusive.
Guest responded, “That’s her choice, if that’s what she feels.”
Internally, the committee appears divided on whether the Gaetz report is finalized or still in draft form. Republicans publicly asserted that the report isn't complete, while two individuals familiar with the internal discussions, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, contended that it was finished. Gaetz has consistently denied the allegations against him.
Even before Guest informed a gathering of reporters that the committee was unable to reach an agreement about releasing the report, Casten vowed to bypass House leadership and initiate a floor vote. Following that, Cohen contacted Casten, as relayed by an anonymous source, expressing a desire to collaborate. Casten declined, prompting Cohen to introduce his own motion to force a vote, resulting in a logjam.
Should Cohen's and Casten's attempts to press for a vote proceed—though it remains uncertain if they comply with the rules of a so-called privileged motion—they would require either support or absences from a few Republicans. While GOP members might want the report released, it's uncertain if they will endorse those attempts if they believe the Ethics committee is still deliberating.
“I would hope that if you are at home and you are a Republican, a Democrat, an independent, that you would want to see the information on the nominee to become your attorney general or any other member of the Cabinet,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, adding that it was “not a good sign” that there is information the committee apparently does not want to make public.
California Rep. Pete Aguilar, the No. 3 House Democrat, voiced his support for Wild's advocacy for disclosure.
However, at least one Democrat expressed caution about pushing to compel the committee to act.
“This committee will become partisan if we vote to release a report on any member. And so that's my concern,” said Rep. Jared Moskowitz, who is friendly with Gaetz.
The chaotic Ethics Committee meeting and resulting outrage occurred one week after Gaetz was nominated to serve as attorney general and swiftly resigned from the House. Gaetz conveyed to leadership that his resignation was aimed at enabling a prompt filling of his seat, though many of his colleagues speculated that it was actually intended to evade the release of the Ethics Committee’s report.
Though some Republicans have expressed the desire for the report’s public disclosure, Gaetz's allies claim that many are seeking retribution against a former member who has made considerable enemies, particularly after orchestrating the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, which left the House without a speaker for three tumultuous weeks.
“The Ethics Committee is not a fair investigation,” stated Rep. Eric Burlison, who attended a Freedom Caucus meeting this week where Gaetz thanked his supporters. “I don’t think anybody believes what happens in the Ethics Committee is actually unbiased.”
Conservatives are also threatening retaliation should Democrats succeed in forcing a vote on the House floor to release the report, cautioning that it might lead to attempts to release Ethics reports involving current or former Democratic members. However, such threats are unlikely to dissuade Democrats, who have largely united in their call for the Gaetz report to be made public.
“If you release this report, then you know, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Let’s start talking about releasing other reports,” Rep. Chip Roy remarked, adding that he would defer to the Ethics Committee.
“I think that would be a valid move,” Rep. Barry Moore reflected when asked about the potential Republican counteraction. “I mean, if they're gonna try to dig up that sort of stuff, why not?”
Mia McCarthy contributed to this report.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
The House Ethics Committee has reached a standstill regarding the release of the findings from an investigation into the former Florida lawmaker, who is Donald Trump's candidate for attorney general. This stagnation has sparked anger among Democrats, who claim the committee is unnecessarily prolonging the process, while Republicans are frustrated with Gaetz for putting them in this difficult situation.
In an effort to compel the release of the Ethics report, which is anticipated to address several allegations, including claims that Gaetz engaged in sexual conduct with a minor, Democratic Representatives Sean Casten and Steve Cohen are proposing motions that would bring the matter before the full House.
Conservative supporters of Trump and Gaetz are warning of repercussions if such a motion proceeds, yet some Republicans still express a desire for the report to be disclosed. Amid the chaos, expelled Rep. George Santos, who recently faced scrutiny in another Ethics Committee report, visited the Capitol to confront Chair Michael Guest on behalf of Gaetz.
“If he runs away from me, I'll go stand in front of his office and scream at him, through his door,” Santos proclaimed, as he loitered outside the building searching for Guest.
This turmoil serves as a stark indication of how Trump's anticipated return to Washington is unsettling the dynamics of Capitol Hill, pressuring Republican lawmakers to navigate a series of urgent and high-stakes decisions regarding the integrity of the legislative branch.
“This is awful,” remarked Rep. Joe Morelle. “It's a black mark on the House of Representatives.”
A number of House and Senate Republicans are pushing for the report to be released—a request that some reiterated following a recent Ethics Committee meeting that yielded no decisive outcomes. Another meeting is scheduled for December 5.
When asked if he still believed the report should be forwarded to the Senate, even if Republicans on the Ethics Committee opposed its release, Rep. Don Bacon stated, “The Senate deserves to have it, so they can make a good decision.”
At the same time, Democrats intend to prevent the GOP from burying the results of the Gaetz investigation, a tension that could pose a serious threat to the Ethics Committee's credibility. Rep. Susan Wild of Pennsylvania, the committee's ranking Democrat, accused Guest of having “betrayed the process” by implying to reporters that the decision not to release the report was conclusive.
Guest responded, “That’s her choice, if that’s what she feels.”
Internally, the committee appears divided on whether the Gaetz report is finalized or still in draft form. Republicans publicly asserted that the report isn't complete, while two individuals familiar with the internal discussions, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, contended that it was finished. Gaetz has consistently denied the allegations against him.
Even before Guest informed a gathering of reporters that the committee was unable to reach an agreement about releasing the report, Casten vowed to bypass House leadership and initiate a floor vote. Following that, Cohen contacted Casten, as relayed by an anonymous source, expressing a desire to collaborate. Casten declined, prompting Cohen to introduce his own motion to force a vote, resulting in a logjam.
Should Cohen's and Casten's attempts to press for a vote proceed—though it remains uncertain if they comply with the rules of a so-called privileged motion—they would require either support or absences from a few Republicans. While GOP members might want the report released, it's uncertain if they will endorse those attempts if they believe the Ethics committee is still deliberating.
“I would hope that if you are at home and you are a Republican, a Democrat, an independent, that you would want to see the information on the nominee to become your attorney general or any other member of the Cabinet,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, adding that it was “not a good sign” that there is information the committee apparently does not want to make public.
California Rep. Pete Aguilar, the No. 3 House Democrat, voiced his support for Wild's advocacy for disclosure.
However, at least one Democrat expressed caution about pushing to compel the committee to act.
“This committee will become partisan if we vote to release a report on any member. And so that's my concern,” said Rep. Jared Moskowitz, who is friendly with Gaetz.
The chaotic Ethics Committee meeting and resulting outrage occurred one week after Gaetz was nominated to serve as attorney general and swiftly resigned from the House. Gaetz conveyed to leadership that his resignation was aimed at enabling a prompt filling of his seat, though many of his colleagues speculated that it was actually intended to evade the release of the Ethics Committee’s report.
Though some Republicans have expressed the desire for the report’s public disclosure, Gaetz's allies claim that many are seeking retribution against a former member who has made considerable enemies, particularly after orchestrating the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, which left the House without a speaker for three tumultuous weeks.
“The Ethics Committee is not a fair investigation,” stated Rep. Eric Burlison, who attended a Freedom Caucus meeting this week where Gaetz thanked his supporters. “I don’t think anybody believes what happens in the Ethics Committee is actually unbiased.”
Conservatives are also threatening retaliation should Democrats succeed in forcing a vote on the House floor to release the report, cautioning that it might lead to attempts to release Ethics reports involving current or former Democratic members. However, such threats are unlikely to dissuade Democrats, who have largely united in their call for the Gaetz report to be made public.
“If you release this report, then you know, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Let’s start talking about releasing other reports,” Rep. Chip Roy remarked, adding that he would defer to the Ethics Committee.
“I think that would be a valid move,” Rep. Barry Moore reflected when asked about the potential Republican counteraction. “I mean, if they're gonna try to dig up that sort of stuff, why not?”
Mia McCarthy contributed to this report.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
