WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — Republicans on the House Ethics Committee voted Wednesday against releasing a report on their long-running investigation into President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, the top Democrat on the panel said.
Democratic Rep. Susan Wild of Pennsylvania said the ethics panel, which is evenly split between the two parties, voted at a lengthy closed-door meeting, and no Republican joined Democrats who wanted to release the report.
Gaetz has launched an effort to secure his embattled nomination, meeting behind closed doors Wednesday with GOP senators who have questions about sexual misconduct and other allegations against him.
Gaetz’s move came as Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray asking for “the complete evidentiary file” from the agency’s investigation into allegations of sex trafficking of minors against Gaetz.
The Democratic senators, led by Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, say the allegations against Gaetz are “significant” in light of his associate, Joe Greenberg, having pleaded guilty to the sex trafficking charge for which the Florida Republican was also investigated.
“In order for the Senate to perform its constitutional duty in this instance, we must be able to thoroughly review all relevant materials that speak to the credibility of these serious allegations against Mr. Gaetz,” the senators wrote in their Wednesday letter to Wray.
The senators wrote that “the grave public allegations against Mr. Gaetz speak directly to his fitness to serve as the chief law enforcement officer for the federal government.”
The letter was signed by Durbin and Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Conn.; Sheldon Whitehouse, R.I.; Amy Klobuchar, Minn.; Mazie Hirono, Hawaii; Laphonza Butler, Calif.; Chris Coons, Del.; Peter Welch, Vt.; Cory Booker, N.J.; and Alex Padilla, Calif.
Attorneys involved in a civil case brought by a Gaetz associate were notified this week that an unauthorized person accessed a file shared between lawyers that included unredacted depositions from a woman who said Gaetz had sex with her when she was 17 and a second woman who says she saw the encounter, according to attorney Joel Leppard.
While House Speaker Mike Johnson has said the Ethics Committee should not release the report — since Gaetz swiftly resigned his congressional seat — several GOP senators have indicated they want all information before having to make a decision on how they would vote.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville told NewsNation he’s waiting for more facts to come out.
“I’m fully supportive of (Gaetz). I just say, make sure you’re transparent,” Tuberville said. “We don’t need things popping up. I’m not into rumors, because I know how this place is, they will ruin you in a heartbeat with rumors. But I’m all in with facts. And if it’s all factual in terms of something that could be construed as criminal, then of course, I won’t vote for it, but and (Gaetz) knows that.”
As soon as the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3, when Republicans take majority control, senators are expected to begin holding hearings on Trump’s nominees, with voting possible on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20.
The Associated Press and NewsNation affiliate The Hill contributed to this report.
