The House Ethics Committee is meeting to discuss whether to publicly release a report on an investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump for attorney general. The committee has investigated Gaetz for allegations of sexual misconduct, drug use, improper gifts, obstructing the probe, and giving special favors. Two women have testified that Gaetz paid them for sex at a party, and one woman said she witnessed Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old friend. Gaetz has denied the allegations, and the Trump transition team has called them “baseless.” Despite reservations from Republican senators, Trump is not reconsidering naming Gaetz as attorney general and is working to build support for his nomination.
The Ethics Committee has multiple options at its meeting, including voting to release the report, forwarding it to the Senate, or taking no action. Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the committee, believes the report should be made public and sent to the Senate, citing precedence for releasing reports after members of Congress have resigned. If the committee decides not to release the report, any House member can try to force a vote for its release. In the past, the committee has released reports on former members involved in misconduct allegations. The meeting comes amid growing scrutiny of Gaetz’s nomination and underscores the importance of transparency in congressional investigations.
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