House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) maintained that the House Ethics Committee report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) should not be made public following Gaetz’s resignation. Johnson argued that the committee’s jurisdiction does not extend to non-members and releasing the report would set a “terrible precedent.”
Johnson told CNN’s Jake Tapper that while the speaker cannot influence committee work, he views the report as incomplete and believes its release would be a “Pandora’s Box.” However, Tapper noted prior instances where similar reports were released post-resignation, such as for former Reps. William Boner and Donald Lukens. Johnson acknowledged these exceptions but stressed that he now leads the House.
The Ethics Committee had been investigating allegations against Gaetz, including sex trafficking and bribery, which he has denied. The panel planned to vote on the report’s release on Nov. 15 but canceled the vote after Gaetz’s resignation two days earlier.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) and other lawmakers have called for the report’s release to inform Senate deliberations on Gaetz’s potential confirmation as attorney general. Mullin remarked, “the background of Matt Gaetz does matter.”
With questions surrounding Gaetz, his confirmation as President-elect Trump’s attorney general pick could face significant challenges.
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