Just one GOP vote on the Ethics Committee could release the Gaetz report

By Free Republic | Created at 2024-11-19 19:13:31 | Updated at 2024-11-24 01:53:11 4 days ago

Just one GOP vote on the Ethics Committee could release the Gaetz report
Politico (Yeah, I know) ^ | Nicholas Wu, Daniella Diaz, Jordain Carney and Olivia Beavers 11/19/2024, 11:58am ET

Posted on 11/19/2024 10:57:31 AM PST by Red Badger

The House Ethics Committee is scheduled to meet Wednesday. And if members vote on whether to share their investigative findings about attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz, it would only take one Republican to trigger the release of the report.

The panel is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, and it only requires a majority vote in the private meeting to release the report. A tie would defer to the party that controls the House — meaning if all Republicans voted against releasing it, the report would not be published.

But it would only take one, combined with all Democrats, to share the report, either with senators or publicly.

Republicans on the committee have largely declined to comment on the upcoming meeting at all, let alone whether they would vote to release the report. But Democrats have made it clear they want to share the investigative findings, at least with senators who will consider confirming Gaetz to the powerful post atop the Justice Department.

“I think the Senate should have a chance to take a look at any evidence they think is relevant to the decision they have to make,” said panel member Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.). “They’ve got a constitutional obligation to have advice and consent on this nomination. It’s an important one.”

He said he’d also be open to letting the general public see the report.

Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the House Ethics Committee, indicated Monday night that she believes the report should be published. Other Democrats on the panel pointed to her comments, indicating they agreed with her. Two Democrats did not respond to a request for comment.

Republicans on the committee are still keeping quiet, however, on what should happen to the report. Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) told POLITICO after GOP members met privately on Monday that he and Speaker Mike Johnson spoke over the weekend. The speaker shared his viewpoint on not releasing the report, according to Guest. He declined to discuss the subject of the Monday meeting, as did other members.

Asked about Wild’s belief that the report should be made public, Johnson said Tuesday: “I’ve made my position very clear.” In addition to his call with Guest, Johnson has said publicly that he doesn’t think it would be proper for the panel to release a report about a person who is no longer a member of the House.

Johnson also indicated he would not support giving the Senate Judiciary Committee access to the report.

"I have no idea about the contents of the report," he added, when pressed on reported allegations, including that Gaetz had sex with a minor. "My job is to protect the institution. And I've made very clear that I think it's an important guardrail for our institution that we not use the House Ethics Committee to investigate and report on persons who are not members of this body. Matt Gaetz is not a member of the body anymore." Gaetz has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing amid the investigations.

Lawmakers have hotly debated releasing the report after Gaetz resigned from Congress last week. There is precedent for Ethics releasing reports about former members, though typically the panel ends investigations and does not release reports about former members.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters Tuesday morning the report should be public. And other Democrats who aren’t on the panel are pushing for its release, too. A group of nearly a hundred House Democrats, led by Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.), sent a letter to the Ethics panel calling for the report’s public release.

TOPICS: Conspiracy; Government; Politics; Society
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1 posted on 11/19/2024 10:57:31 AM PST by Red Badger

To: Red Badger

We need to see an ethics report on Hakeem Skyhook Jefferies.

2 posted on 11/19/2024 11:02:22 AM PST by FlingWingFlyer (Let's Go Brandon! FCS (Schumer))

To: Red Badger

That’s all fine and dandy, until they come for you. If they do it, I hope it snowballs into disclosures about hush monies, sexual misconduct, insider trading, etc., for each and every one of them.

To: Red Badger

4 posted on 11/19/2024 11:02:57 AM PST by anton

To: Red Badger

The contents of the “report” have already been investigated by none other than the FBI and proven the allegations and contents as completely untrue. The FBI— yeah even THEM! This is dems trying to force feed a media blitz of absolute lies.

They are scared to be subject to such an AG and DOJ. Because they are provably right now— criminals.

5 posted on 11/19/2024 11:03:05 AM PST by John S Mosby (Sic Semper Tyrannis)

To: Red Badger

Well that won’t be difficult to get.

6 posted on 11/19/2024 11:03:11 AM PST by Revel

To: Red Badger

Go ahead and release it. It will have as much impact as the report of the J6 committee. ie, nothing.

7 posted on 11/19/2024 11:03:14 AM PST by hinckley buzzard ( Resist the narrative.)

To: FlingWingFlyer

“Skyhook!” Loving it— and miss Rush more every day. His name for the general in Somalia iirc was “Skyhook”!

Good one, FReeper!!

8 posted on 11/19/2024 11:04:47 AM PST by John S Mosby (Sic Semper Tyrannis)

To: hinckley buzzard

It will be leaked soon enough. Any secret document concerning anyone MAGA always is.

9 posted on 11/19/2024 11:05:11 AM PST by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)

To: John S Mosby

IIRC, the FBI dropped the investigation because it was basically a ‘he said/she said’ deal where nothing was provable...........

10 posted on 11/19/2024 11:07:24 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)

To: Red Badger

Whatever the reason— they found it unprovable and thus, not valid.

11 posted on 11/19/2024 11:09:26 AM PST by John S Mosby (Sic Semper Tyrannis)

To: John S Mosby

But in politics, all you need is the ‘charge’, evidence is unnecessary............😉

12 posted on 11/19/2024 11:11:22 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)

To: Red Badger

Oh this ethics report is coming out. It will be released.

Leaked is how it will be done.

13 posted on 11/19/2024 11:11:24 AM PST by Responsibility2nd (Climate Change is Real. Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.)

To: Red Badger

“I’ve looked on a lot of women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times”

President Jimmy Carter to Playboy Magazine 1976

I am no better than he is does that disqualify me bring the Inquisition on me too.

14 posted on 11/19/2024 11:12:54 AM PST by Nextrush (FREEDOM IS EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS-REMEMBER REV. NIEMOLLER)

To: FlingWingFlyer

I demand that the Congress hush money slush fund recipients be disclosable through FOIA requests. It is OUR money, after all.

And if it’s true that the guy who paid the hooker to make up these lies about Gaetz told not only his cellmate but also federal investigators that he had done it to falsely set up Gaetz, then that report should also be made publicly available so everybody can see the House Ethics Committee with their pants down swallowing all the.... lies fed to it.

To: Responsibility2nd

If it is leaked, seeing that Gaetz is now a ‘private citizen’ again, doesn’t this set up the Committee and Staff for defamation and slander lawsuits galore?.....................

16 posted on 11/19/2024 11:13:16 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)

To: Red Badger

I want to see the full congressional hush-money slush fund disclosed. Every name, living or dead, for as long back as they’re been paying girls AND boys to quietly go away.

That will end some careers, and it’s high time.

17 posted on 11/19/2024 11:13:23 AM PST by bigbob (Yes. We ARE going back!)

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