House Democrat renews push to force release of Gaetz ethics report

Rep. Sean Casten on Tuesday launched a second bid to make public a House Ethics Committee report of its investigation of former Rep. Matt Gaetz.

Mr. Casten, Illinois Democrat, introduced a privileged resolution that would require the House to vote on whether to force the panel to release the report. The move gives House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, until Thursday to hold the vote.

While the Justice Department carried out a two-year investigation of Mr. Gaetz and did not charge him with a crime, the ethics panel continued its probe into allegations of illicit drug use, sexual misconduct, improperly accepting gifts and other transgressions. The committee’s probe ended when Mr. Gaetz resigned from Congress to accept President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination for U.S. attorney general, though Mr. Gaetz later removed his name from consideration for the job.

Mr. Casten introduced a similar resolution before the Thanksgiving break that also gave Mr. Johnson two legislative days to call the vote. However, time ran out over the break.

That was before Mr. Gaetz, who resigned from Congress, also declined the attorney general post.

Mr. Casten said the report still deserved to see the light of day because the allegations against Mr. Gaetz, particularly that he had “sex with a child,” were so serious.

Mr. Gaetz was accused of having sex with a 17-year-old girl in Florida, where the age of consent is 18.

“We can’t expect this institution to be taken seriously if we say you can do that here, and you know, actions which would be the end of your career, and possible jail time in any other line of work, we’re going to hold ourselves differently here and still claim to be a country that defends equal treatment of the law,” Mr. Casten said.

Rep. Steve Cohen, Tennessee Democrat, also filed a separate resolution to force a vote on releasing the report Tuesday night, meaning Mr. Johnson will have to put two competing measures on the floor by Thursday. 

Mr. Johnson and House Ethics Committee Chair Michael Guest, Mississippi Republican, said that because Mr. Gaetz is no longer a member of the House, the panel no longer has jurisdiction over him.

Mr. Casten said: “This institution survives and has credibility to the extent that we hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards. Those ethical standards don’t become moot simply because Mr. Gaetz is no longer a member.”