United States: The United States House of Representatives is set to decide on Thursday as to what to do with a report accusing former House member Matt Gaetz of sexual misconduct and drug use, who has withdrawn his attempt for the position of Associate Attorney General under President-elect Donald Trump, as reported by Reuters.
Key Decisions
Two more get-togethers concerning Gaetz are expected.
The House Ethics Committee, which has investigated the allegations, is likely to sit to determine its action regarding the findings of its probe into Gaetz, sources familiar with the committee’s activities said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Also, on Thursday, the full Republican-controlled House has to vote on a motion to compel the panel to release its report on Gaetz, 42, who resigned from Congress in November after Trump named him a potential attorney general.
Gaetz has also come out to deny any wrongdoing.
Democratic Representative Sean Casten, who is leading the process of moving to reopen the debate to allow other House members to vote on whether to make the Gaetz report public, gave at least four instances since 1987 where the ethics panel was still conducting its investigations and issuing reports even after a representative has resigned from Congress.
The House could vote on the proposal itself – an extremely improbable event to happen, as they require GOP’s support – or vote to table it.
Ethics Committee’s Role and Debate Over Transparency
The Ethics Committee includes five Republicans and five Democrats and is also expected to vote on the decision to release the investigative report into Gaetz. The panel split along party lines in a similar vote last month.
New at the time, the committee’s Republican chairman, Representative Michael Guest, said when he spoke to the press, he had “reservations” about the report because it is still a work in progress. The highest-ranking Democrat on the committee, Susan Wild, said that everyone on the panel did not agree with what came next for the investigation, as reported by Reuters.
Release or Table the Report?
The Ethics Committee can only discipline members of Congress presently serving in office. Several Republicans have suggested that the probe should be officially brought to a close behind closed doors because Gaetz said he will not come back for the congressional session in January next year.