The House Ethics Committee has yet to decide whether to release its potentially damning report on Trump attorney general pick Matt Gaetz, who abruptly resigned from Congress.
Donald Trump has been steadily rolling out the names in his new administration, featuring a mix of typical Republican politicians such as Representative Elise Stefanik and Senator Marco Rubio as well as more wild-card choices like Fox News commentator Pete Hegseth and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. But no nomination has sparked as much fervor on both sides of the aisle as Trump naming Florida representative Matt Gaetz as his U.S. attorney general.
Gaetz, a loyal Trump ally, was an immediately contentious pick, due to his significant lack of legal experience compared to past attorneys general as well as his penchant for antagonizing his congressional colleagues, regardless of party affiliation. The Florida congressman has long been embroiled in numerous ethics investigations including a Justice Department probe into whether he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and traveled out of state with her, which could constitute sex trafficking. Though the federal government ultimately ended its inquiry without bringing any charges against Gaetz, the House Ethics Committee revived its investigation in 2023 after deferring to the agency.
The committee’s probe, which also looked into whether Gaetz used illegal drugs or misused campaign funds, was set to vote November 15 on whether to publicize its report on the congressman.
