Rep. Sean Casten on Wednesday threatened to force a vote to release the House Ethics Committee’s report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz.
Mr. Casten, Illinois Democrat, plans to introduce a privileged resolution that intends to force lawmakers to vote on whether to release the report on Mr. Gaetz, pending whether the panel decides to release the record.
Lawmakers on the 10-member panel were engaged in a meeting on Wednesday to determine what to do about the report, which has gained much attention following President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Mr. Gaetz to lead the Justice Department.
Republicans on the committee are expected to vote against releasing the report, citing precedent that because Mr. Gaetz resigned from Congress last week, he’s no longer under their jurisdiction and they don’t have to release their findings.
On top of that, Mr. Gaetz was never charged.
If the report isn’t released, Mr. Casten said he would force the vote in the lower chamber.
SEE ALSO: Senate Dems call on FBI to release Gaetz file
“The allegations against Matt Gaetz are serious. They are credible. The House Ethics Committee has spent years conducting a thorough investigation to get to the bottom of it,” Mr. Casten said in a statement. “This information must be made available for the Senate to provide its constitutionally required advice and consent.”
If Mr. Casten follows through with his threat, that would give House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, two legislative days to decide whether to consider the resolution on the floor or vote to table.
Lawmakers are set to leave Washington on Thursday, meaning a floor vote could be kicked until early December.
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.
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