House rebuffs Democratic efforts to force release of Gaetz ethics report

The House rejected two Democratic-led efforts to force the release of ethics findings into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, with Republicans arguing that the Florida firebrand’s departure from Congress puts him outside their jurisdiction.

Lawmakers voted along almost entirely party lines to table an effort from Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) to force the immediate release of the Ethics Committee report on Gaetz. Casten cited multiple examples in his resolution where the House released findings on members even after they left Congress.

“If this is a referendum on, are Republicans willing to stand up to sexual assault when committed by Republicans, I have a very low confidence that any Republicans will break on that vote,” Casten said earlier Thursday. “If this is a referendum on: do Republicans like Matt Gaetz, I have a very high degree of confidence. I don't know how they're thinking about this.”

Casten vowed after the vote to continue to try to get the report released, saying, “We are going to pursue every option,” he said. “We have to keep this going, including but not limited to bringing the resolution back up. We’re going to figure out next steps.”

Rep. Susan Wild (Pa.), ranking member of the Ethics Committee, declined to comment off the floor.

Separately, House members voted down an effort from Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) requiring the committee to preserve and release records related to its investigation into multiple allegations against Gaetz, including that he had sex with a minor.

The former congressman was President-elect Donald Trump’s first pick for attorney general — but he dropped out after it became clear he could not be confirmed by the Senate. Gaetz then said he would not return to the House and has repeatedly denied all wrongdoing.

The votes on the resolutions come on the same day that the House Ethics Committee again met to discuss the findings of its years-long probe into Gaetz — and again punted on whether to release the report. Cumulatively, the actions leave the report without an obvious path to becoming public.