Democratic lawmaker Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois has introduced legislation to force a vote on releasing the House Ethics Committee’s report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican from Florida. The report involves allegations of sex with a minor and illicit drug use. Gaetz resigned from Congress last month, ending the investigation and losing the committee’s jurisdiction. House Speaker Mike Johnson has expressed opposition to releasing the report on a former member, but Casten argues that Congress should not allow members to avoid accountability for serious allegations like those faced by Gaetz.
Casten’s new resolution aims to mandate a House-wide vote on whether to make the Gaetz report public. By introducing it as a “privileged resolution,” he is forcing House leaders to consider it within two legislative days, with a deadline set for Thursday. The House Ethics Committee had been expected to meet to consider releasing the report, which Gaetz has consistently denied any wrongdoing. While it is unusual for the committee to release reports on former lawmakers, Casten points out that it has been done in the past. He believes withholding the report from the American people would impede the dignity and integrity of the legislative proceedings of the House.
The committee previously failed to come to an agreement on releasing the Gaetz report, with Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the panel, suggesting that the vote fell along party lines. The committee is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. For something to move forward, members need to cross party lines and vote with the other side, which did not happen during the last meeting. Casten introduced a similar resolution last month, but it was allowed to expire by House GOP leaders over the Thanksgiving break. The new resolution is expected to receive more attention this time as the House will be in session until Friday, with the deadline for consideration set for Thursday.
A federal investigation into the allegations against Gaetz ended without charges being filed. Prior to his resignation from Congress, Gaetz was tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to be his attorney general. However, Gaetz dropped out of consideration amid opposition from his own party. Following his withdrawal, the House Ethics Committee lost jurisdiction over the investigation. Casten’s push to release the report highlights the importance of holding members of Congress accountable for allegations as serious as those faced by Gaetz. With the House expected to be in session, the resolution will likely not be sidelined, paving the way for a potential House-wide vote on whether to make the Gaetz report public.
The House Ethics Committee’s multi-year investigation into Gaetz came to an abrupt halt after his resignation, which occurred right before the committee was expected to meet to discuss releasing the report. Casten insists that resigning from Congress should not allow members to avoid accountability, especially for serious allegations. By introducing the resolution to force a vote on making the Gaetz report public, Casten is advocating for transparency and accountability within the legislative process. The upcoming meeting of the Ethics Committee, coupled with the deadline for considering the resolution, sets the stage for a potentially significant decision on the release of the report.
