Matt Gaetz Faces Scrutiny as Ethics Report Looms Amid Attorney General Nomination
The nomination of former Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz to serve as the next U.S. Attorney General has sparked intense debate and calls for transparency, particularly surrounding a pending House Ethics Committee report detailing allegations of misconduct against him.
Gaetz, who was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump on November 13, has long been dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, and other unethical behavior. These allegations include accusations that he paid for sex with a 17-year-old minor and used drugs like ecstasy. Despite these claims, Gaetz has maintained his innocence and called the investigations against him a “smear.”
The House Ethics Committee had been investigating Gaetz since 2021, but the release of its findings was abruptly halted when Gaetz resigned from Congress shortly after his nomination. The committee had been set to vote on whether to make the report public, which is believed to contain damaging information about Gaetz.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike have called for the release of the ethics report, arguing that the American public deserves to know whether Gaetz is fit to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ), which oversees federal law enforcement and prosecutes criminal cases.
“The sequence and timing of Mr. Gaetz’s resignation from the House raises serious questions about the contents of the House Ethics Committee report and findings,” said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “We cannot allow this critical information from a bipartisan investigation into longstanding public allegations to be hidden from the American people.”
Even within the Republican Party, there are significant concerns about Gaetz’s nomination. Multiple Republican senators have expressed shock at Trump’s choice and signaled that they could vote against his confirmation. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said he “absolutely” wants to see the ethics report before making a decision on Gaetz’s nomination.
Adding to the controversy, an “unknown and unauthorized third party” has gained access to two dozen depositions related to the various investigations into Gaetz, CBS News reported. The leaked materials include the sworn deposition of the minor with whom Gaetz allegedly had sex, as well as other witnesses.
The DOJ itself investigated Gaetz for sex trafficking and obstruction but ultimately declined to bring charges against him last year. However, the House Ethics Committee continued its investigation, looking into allegations of sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, improper gift acceptance, misuse of campaign funds, and obstruction of government investigations.
Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA), the top Democrat on the Ethics Committee, has called for the report to be made public and released to the Senate, which will vote on Gaetz’s confirmation. Wild believes there is unanimous support from Democrats on the committee to disclose the report, but it would require at least one Republican to join them in voting for its release.
Meanwhile, firebrand Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has intervened on behalf of Gaetz, issuing a bizarre challenge to her Republican colleagues. Greene demanded full disclosure of all ethics reports and claims of sexual harassment and assault filed against fellow Republican members of Congress, arguing that if Gaetz’s report is to be released, then so should all others.
“If we are going to release ethics reports and rip apart our own that Trump has appointed, then put it ALL out there for the American people to see,” Greene wrote on X.
Greene’s intervention has exposed the fissures within the Republican Party over Gaetz’s nomination. While some, like Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN), have congratulated Gaetz and expressed confidence in his ability to serve as attorney general, others are deeply concerned about his qualifications and character.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will review Gaetz’s record and qualifications and will call him, as well as witnesses for and against his nomination, to testify under oath in public confirmation hearings. If a majority on the committee votes to advance Gaetz’s nomination, it will go to the full Senate for a vote, where a simple majority is required for confirmation.