Matt Gaetz ethics report release uncertain after panel deadlocked

A congressional ethics committee has failed to reach an agreement over whether to release a report on alleged sexual misconduct by Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the US Department of Justice.

The House committee met for two hours behind closed doors on Wednesday, as calls grew for details of its investigation into Gaetz, a former Florida congressman whose nomination to serve as attorney general has proved controversial.

“There was no consensus on this issue,” Democratic Representative Susan Wild told reporters, adding that a vote had been taken but the bipartisan committee remained split along party lines.

She said they would meet again on 5 December. It is unclear whether they could release the report into Gaetz, who denies any wrongdoing, before then.

Pressure has mounted on the ethics committee to release its findings, as members of the Senate begin meeting with Gaetz ahead of a hearing when they will vote on whether to confirm him as attorney general.

“They’ve been going great,” Gaetz said of the meetings on Wednesday. “Senators been giving me a lot of good advice. I’m looking forward to a hearing.”

The ethics committee had been preparing to vote on the report’s release before Gaetz’s abrupt resignation from the House, which came just after Trump’s nomination, the New York Times reported.

His departure cast doubt on whether the report would see the light of day, because having resigned he is no longer under congressional jurisdiction and the committee only investigates House members.

The committee Chairman Michael Guest, a Republican, told reporters on Wednesday that he had “some reservations” about releasing the report because it is still going through the review process.

He told CNN the committee would consider releasing it publicly or sending it directly to the Senate Judiciary Committee, but it remains uncertain whether it will leave the committee at all.

Reporters and members of the media packed the hallway outside the room where members of the committee met on Wednesday. Most lawmakers remained tight-lipped as they passed the gauntlet of journalists on their way out of the meeting.

Speaking to MSNBC afterward, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, a Democrat, said he had faith “we will get to the right solution”.

Gaetz, 42, is a lawyer who made a name for himself on Capitol Hill and cable news as a right-wing rabble rouser. He is a staunch defender of Trump and led a successful effort to oust Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year.

Some of Gaetz’s former House colleagues have voiced support for his nomination, including Speaker Mike Johnson, who called him a “reformer” who would “bring a lot to the table”.

But Gaetz also has been dogged by allegations of impropriety in recent years.

The US justice department previously investigated him for allegations he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl and violated sex trafficking laws. But the case was dropped and Gaetz, who denied the allegations, was never charged.

In June, the ethics committee announced it was investigating several allegations against Gaetz, including that he “engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favours to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct”.

Two women testified to the committee that Gaetz paid them “for sex”, their lawyer, Joel Leppard, told CBS this week. One of the women also testified that she witnessed the then-congressman having sex with a minor during a party in 2017, the lawyer said.

Gaetz has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and says the accusations are politically motivated.

“Lies were weaponised to try to destroy me,” Gaetz posted on X on Friday. “These lies resulted in prosecution, conviction, and prison. For the liars, not me.”

Trump showed no sign of backing down on his cabinet pick this week.

“Matt Gaetz will be the next attorney general. He’s the right man for the job and will end the weaponisation of our justice system,” Trump transition spokesman Alex Pfieffer said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Senators of both parties have spoken in favour of accessing the ethics report.

Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat and chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, demanded that the other committee “preserve and share” the report with his panel.

“Make no mistake: This information could be relevant to the question of Mr Gaetz’s confirmation as the next attorney general of the United States, and our constitutional responsibility of advice and consent,” Durbin said.

Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican who also sits on the judiciary committee, said: “I think that if they want a speedy consideration of this nomination, we’ve got to have as much transparency as we can have.”