The U.S. House of Representatives Ethics Committee plans to discuss the next steps on Wednesday in its investigation into President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general pick, Matt Gaetz, according to two sources familiar with the panel’s plans. These sources requested anonymity to freely discuss the bipartisan panel’s activities.
Several Republican senators, who hold the constitutional responsibility to confirm or reject high-level presidential appointments, have urged the House panel to share its findings on allegations against Gaetz involving sexual misconduct with a teenager and drug use.
Gaetz, 42, resigned from his seat in the Republican-controlled House on Wednesday, just as Trump announced him as his choice for attorney general. This resignation coincided with the Ethics Committee nearing completion of its probe. Gaetz has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin expressed on NBC’s Meet the Press that the Senate should gain access to the Ethics Committee’s report. “The Senate should have access to that,” Mullin stated. “Whether to release it to the public or not will depend on negotiations.”
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson stated his opposition to releasing the report publicly, emphasizing that Gaetz no longer holds a position in the House.
Gaetz, one of several Cabinet nominees announced by Trump last week, has drawn criticism for lacking the qualifications typically expected for high-level administration roles. The Department of Justice investigated Gaetz for nearly three years over allegations of sex trafficking involving a teenager. In 2023, Gaetz’s office announced that prosecutors had informed him he would not face charges.
Trump, who has faced two federal prosecutions since leaving office in 2021, described all charges against him as politically motivated. These prosecutions include cases related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and mishandling classified documents. Meanwhile, Moscow dismissed reports of the U.S. allowing Ukraine to fire American missiles deep into Russian territory.
