While former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R.-Fla., may be out of Congress, Congress certainly isn’t done with him – and all eyes are on the report the House Ethics Committee is sitting on.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., may be done with Congress. But Congress is not done with him. And as President-elect Trump’s pick to serve as Attorney General, Gaetz is apparently not done with Congress, either.
Gaetz negotiated with Mr. Trump to become Attorney General on a flight to Florida – just hours after the incoming President spoke to House Republicans in Washington last week. Mr. Trump then made Gaetz his pick and the Florida Republican resigned.
What wasn’t known at the time was that the House Ethics Committee was on the precipice of releasing a report investigating allegations of «sexual misconduct» and «illicit drug use» by Gaetz. Gaetz stopped cooperating with the House investigation over the summer. The FBI probed Gaetz for years – but dropped its inquiry in February.
The Ethics Committee dashed a planned meeting where it likely would have published information about its inquest regarding Gaetz on Friday. But since Gaetz is no longer a Member of Congress, the committee supposedly is powerless to act.
House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., said the following on Wednesday when asked about the Gaetz probe – but before the Florida Republican resigned.
«Once the investigation is complete, then a report will be issued — assuming that at that time, that Mr. Gaetz is still a Member of Congress. If Mr. Gaetz were to resign because he is taking a position with the administration as the Attorney General then the Ethics Committee loses jurisdiction at that point. Once we lose jurisdiction, there would not be a report that would be issued. That’s not unique to this case», said Guest.
Other Ethics Committee members tried to sidestep discussion of Gaetz.
«I’m not making any comments on that. I’m on the Ethics Committee so I’m staying clear of that», said Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla.
«Can you still release the report?» asked Rachel Scott of ABC.
«Nope. Sure can’t», replied Rutherford, turning toward Scott.
That is generally how the House Ethics Committee rolls when it comes to outstanding investigations involving former Members.
But it is not a hard and fast rule.
Fox has found that the Ethics Committee released the information on its probe into potential influence peddling by the late Rep.
