House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Friday he plans to “strongly request” the Ethics Committee not release its report summarizing its investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz.
Mr. Gaetz, Florida Republican, resigned from Congress after Mr. Trump on Wednesday nominated him to serve as his attorney general — ostensibly to ensure a special election to pick his successor in the House can occur more quickly.
But his hasty exit also came before the House Ethics Committee’s scheduled vote Friday to release a report on its investigation of allegations Mr. Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors and tried to obstruct government inquiries into his conduct.
The Ethics Committee does not have jurisdiction over members of Congress once they resign or retire, but there has been a debate about whether the committee should still release its report on Mr. Gaetz since he is up for a high-level Cabinet position.
“I’m going to strongly request that the Ethics Committee not issue the report because that is not the way we do things in the House,” Mr. Johnson said, according to reports in Politico and CNN. “And I think that would be a terrible precedent to set.”
When pressed on whether the public has a right to see the report, Mr. Johnson said, “I don’t think that’s relevant.” He cited House rules dictating that a former member is outside of the Ethics Committee’s jurisdiction.
“I think it’s a terrible breach of protocol and tradition,” the Louisiana Republican said of the possibility the committee may still vote to release the report.
Mr. Johnson’s decision to wade into the ethics matter is also a breach of protocol. He and other speakers before him have said they are supposed to stay out of Ethics Committee deliberations.
Senators of both parties have already raised concerns about Mr. Gaetz regarding whether he would have enough support to get confirmed as attorney general.
Top members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will vet Mr. Gaetz’s nomination, have said they want access to the ethics report.
“The sequence and timing of Mr. Gaetz’s resignation from the House raises serious questions about the contents of the House Ethics Committee report,” said Sen. Richard J. Durbin, Illinois Democrat. He is currently chairman of the Judiciary Committee but will serve as ranking member next Congress when the committee takes up Mr. Gaetz’s nomination.
“We cannot allow this valuable information from a bipartisan investigation to be hidden from the American people,” Mr. Durbin said. “Make no mistake: This information could be relevant to the question of Mr. Gaetz’s confirmation as the next attorney general of the United States and our constitutional responsibility of advice and consent.”
It was not immediately clear if Mr. Johnson was suggesting the report be withheld from the Senate or just the public. The Washington Times has contacted the speaker’s office for comment.
• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.
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