Ethics Committee to convene on Wednesday, with unresolved questions about Gaetz
Members postponed the Wednesday meeting originally scheduled for last week, during which lawmakers were anticipated to vote on the release of the report.
TroibNews 
The House Ethics panel is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, potentially voting to release a report investigating sexual misconduct allegations against former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who has been nominated by Donald Trump for the position of attorney general, according to two insiders familiar with the discussions.
This meeting comes as Gaetz's confirmation faces scrutiny, with some Republican senators expressing concerns about the controversial Florida Republican serving as the nation's top law enforcement officer.
Speaker Mike Johnson is exerting pressure on members of the Ethics Committee to keep the report confidential, asserting on Friday that he is “going to strongly request” it not be released because “that is not the way we do things in the House, and I think that would be a terrible precedent to set.” He reinforced his position during interviews on Sunday and publicly endorsed Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general.
The Wednesday meeting was rescheduled from a session last week where lawmakers were widely expected to make a decision regarding the report's release.
The decision of whether to publicly release the report, which some senators contend is crucial for determining Gaetz's confirmation, is placing significant pressure on the normally bipartisan Ethics Committee. Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin mentioned on “Meet The Press” that the Senate should “absolutely” be able to review the report, though he noted that this does not necessarily imply it should be made public.
As a staunch supporter of Trump, Gaetz faces a challenging path to confirmation in the Senate. GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski expressed doubt, stating she doesn’t “think it’s a serious nomination,” while fellow swing-vote Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine shared her “shock” at the nomination.
With Republicans holding 53 Senate seats in the upcoming Congress, they can afford only three dissenting votes during the confirmation process.
Joel Leppard, who represents two witnesses who testified before the House Ethics Committee, informed ABC News that his client claims to have witnessed Gaetz engaging in sexual activities with a minor at a party and provided this testimony to the committee. He is making the rounds on cable news Monday to advocate for the report's release.
“Ultimately, I hope it puts a lot of pressure on the panel to release the report,” Leppard expressed to Playbook on Sunday. “My clients have already been through this several times and they really, really do not want to testify again, especially not on the floor of the Senate.”
Gaetz has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Frederick R Cook contributed to this report for TROIB News
This meeting comes as Gaetz's confirmation faces scrutiny, with some Republican senators expressing concerns about the controversial Florida Republican serving as the nation's top law enforcement officer.
Speaker Mike Johnson is exerting pressure on members of the Ethics Committee to keep the report confidential, asserting on Friday that he is “going to strongly request” it not be released because “that is not the way we do things in the House, and I think that would be a terrible precedent to set.” He reinforced his position during interviews on Sunday and publicly endorsed Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general.
The Wednesday meeting was rescheduled from a session last week where lawmakers were widely expected to make a decision regarding the report's release.
The decision of whether to publicly release the report, which some senators contend is crucial for determining Gaetz's confirmation, is placing significant pressure on the normally bipartisan Ethics Committee. Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin mentioned on “Meet The Press” that the Senate should “absolutely” be able to review the report, though he noted that this does not necessarily imply it should be made public.
As a staunch supporter of Trump, Gaetz faces a challenging path to confirmation in the Senate. GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski expressed doubt, stating she doesn’t “think it’s a serious nomination,” while fellow swing-vote Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine shared her “shock” at the nomination.
With Republicans holding 53 Senate seats in the upcoming Congress, they can afford only three dissenting votes during the confirmation process.
Joel Leppard, who represents two witnesses who testified before the House Ethics Committee, informed ABC News that his client claims to have witnessed Gaetz engaging in sexual activities with a minor at a party and provided this testimony to the committee. He is making the rounds on cable news Monday to advocate for the report's release.
“Ultimately, I hope it puts a lot of pressure on the panel to release the report,” Leppard expressed to Playbook on Sunday. “My clients have already been through this several times and they really, really do not want to testify again, especially not on the floor of the Senate.”
Gaetz has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Frederick R Cook contributed to this report for TROIB News
