CNN
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The House Ethics Committee voted secretly earlier this month to release its report on the conduct of former Rep. Matt Gaetz before the end of this Congress, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the matter.
The report is now expected to be released after the House’s final day of voting this year, as lawmakers leave Washington for the holidays, these sources said.
The vote, which has not been previously reported, amounts to a sharp turnaround for the panel after voting along party lines at the end of November so as not to disclose the results of the investigation. The decision to release the report suggests that some Republicans have ultimately decided to side with Democrats on the issue, and it is unclear whether the commission will change course again now that it has voted.
When the commission voted last month to suspend the report, Gaetz was President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for attorney general. Since then, Gaetz has withdrawn from consideration for the Senate-confirmed position, although he has frosty relations with many members of his party and is still active in GOP politics.
It is extremely rare for an ethics report to be released after a member leaves Congress, although it has happened several times in the past. The committee revisited the issue behind closed doors earlier this month after a dispute over the report was revealed to the public before Thanksgiving.
The ethics board’s report concludes a years-long investigation into numerous allegations against Gaetz, including whether he engaged in sexual misconduct, used illegal drugs, “shared inappropriate images or videos to House, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds for personal use. , and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gifts,” according to an announcement from the panel last summer.
Gaetz has vigorously denied all allegations and called the investigation a witch hunt.
In an article on And he said he “NEVER had sexual contact with anyone under the age of 18” — a claim that is addressed in the House Ethics report, CNN previously reported.
“My 30s were a time when I worked really hard – and played hard too. It’s embarrassing, although not criminal, that I’ve probably been partying, dating, drinking and smoking more than I should have earlier in life. I live a different life now.
Lawyer describes his client’s testimony in the House Ethics Committee’s investigation into Gaetz
Speaker Mike Johnson said he didn’t think the report should be released, since Gaetz is no longer a member of Congress after abruptly resigning once Trump announced him as his initial choice for attorney general. Johnson acknowledged he had no role in the operations of the panel, which traditionally operated separately from executives. Many lawmakers believed Gaetz resigned in an attempt to bury the investigation.
Gaetz, who was re-elected to the seat last month before his resignation, said he had no plans to return to Congress next year.
“I will still fight, but it will be from a new perch. I have no intention of joining the 119th Congress,” he told Charlie Kirk. an interview last month.
“I will fight for President Trump. I’m going to do whatever he asks of me, like I always have. But I think eight years is probably enough for the US Congress,” he said.
He also recently announced that he would be joining One America News Network in January.
A committee spokesperson did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.
This story has been updated with additional reactions.