House Ethics Committee quietly voted to release Matt Gaetz ethics report
Washington — The House Ethics Committee quietly voted to release its report on the investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz regarding allegations of sexual misconduct and obstruction, multiple sources familiar with the matter said, reversing course after Republicans originally blocked its release.
Two Republican members of the committee were among those who voted for its release, according to two sources familiar with the vote. The committee has 10 members, evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. A source with direct knowledge of the process said the vote was taken on Dec. 5.
The report will likely be unveiled in the coming days, after the final votes of the 118th Congress, the sources said. Lawmakers face a Friday deadline to approve new government funding and avoid a shutdown before heading home for the holidays. CNN first reported on Thursday that the committee voted behind closed doors earlier this month to release the report.
Republicans in the full House recently blocked two Democratic resolutions that would have compelled the Ethics Committee to release the potentially damaging report on its investigation into Gaetz, voting to refer the matter back to the committee.
Gaetz resigned from Congress shortly after President-elect Donald Trump said he planned to nominate Gaetz to be attorney general in November. But Gaetz soon withdrew from consideration, facing a likely contentious confirmation process. Gaetz has said he does not intend to take the oath of office for the same seat in the 119th Congress, and is launching a new show on the pro-Trump One America News Network in January.
It's highly unusual, but not unprecedented, for the House Ethics Committee to release a report on a member who is no longer in office. In other investigations, the prospect of a report's release has been enough to prompt the target of the probe to resign from Congress to keep it under wraps. Senior lawmakers, including some Democrats, have expressed concerns about the precedent set by unveiling the Gaetz findings after he has already stepped down.
In June, the committee released a statement saying it was investigating allegations against Gaetz that included sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, and bribery.
Multiple sources at the time told CBS News that four women had informed the Ethics Committee that they had been paid to go to parties that included sex and drugs, and that Gaetz had also attended. The committee has Gaetz's Venmo transactions that allegedly show payments for the women.
Gaetz has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and has called the committee's investigation a "frivolous" smear campaign.
The House Ethics Committee declined to comment. Gaetz released a lengthy statement on X in response, saying he "probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked" more than he should have, but did nothing illegal.
"In my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated — even some I never dated but who asked," he wrote. "I dated several of these women for years. I NEVER had sexual contact with someone under 18. Any claim that I have would be destroyed in court — which is why no such claim was ever made in court."
He said the Ethics investigation relied on witnesses that the Justice Department "deemed not-credible."
"I've had no chance to ever confront any accusers. I've never been charged. I've never been sued," he wrote. "Instead, House Ethics will reportedly post a report online that I have no opportunity to debate or rebut as a former member of the body."
Some of the sexual misconduct allegations under review by the committee were the subject of a previous Department of Justice probe into Gaetz. Federal investigators sought to determine if Gaetz violated sex trafficking and obstruction of justice laws, but no charges were filed.