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House lawmakers voted Thursday to block the release of an Ethics Committee report investigating former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., amid allegations of illicit drug use, sexual misconduct, and obstruction of the House probe.
The report’s potential release has been a contentious issue, driven by Gaetz’s close ties to President-elect Donald Trump and his possible political ambitions.
In two separate votes, Republicans referred resolutions to the Ethics Committee, effectively stalling their release. One resolution, introduced by Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., sought to publicly release the report, while another by Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., called for preserving and releasing records from the investigation. Both resolutions were thwarted by narrow margins, with only Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., breaking party lines to vote with Democrats.
The bipartisan Ethics panel, chaired by Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., has met privately multiple times to discuss the report but has yet to reach a decision. Guest declined to speculate on future actions, emphasizing that the committee remains in deliberation.
Gaetz, who resigned from Congress on Nov. 13 — the same day Trump nominated him for Attorney General — withdrew his name from consideration on Nov. 21. He has consistently denied the allegations against him.
Democrats argue that the Ethics Committee should release the report despite Gaetz’s resignation, pointing to past instances where the panel published reports on former lawmakers. Notably, in 1987 and 2006, the Ethics Committee released findings on Reps. Bill Boner, D-Tenn., and Mark Foley, R-Fla., respectively, both of whom resigned amid scandal.
Republicans countered that the Ethics Committee’s jurisdiction only extends to current members, rendering the report’s release unnecessary. This echoes a similar precedent set in 1996 when House Democrats failed to release an Ethics Committee report on then-Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.
Gaetz remains a potential political figure, with speculation of a 2026 Florida gubernatorial bid or a role in a future Trump administration. Democrats assert that the report’s release is critical to uphold the integrity of the House and the Ethics Committee.
“This is about transparency and accountability,” Casten said in a statement. “The public deserves to know the findings of this investigation, especially given the serious nature of the allegations.”
The Ethics Committee has pledged to meet again before the end of the year, leaving the possibility of future action open. Whether the report will ever be made public remains uncertain.
