Pressure mounts for release of Matt Gaetz congressional ethics report
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, faced growing scrutiny from his fellow congressional Republicans on Thursday, with one saying he “absolutely” wants to review an unreleased report examining allegations of sexual misconduct.
A lawyer representing an alleged victim also called for the report to be made public.
Senator John Cornyn said he and other lawmakers should get access to the report by the House of Representatives Ethics Committee, which examined allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.
“I don’t want there to be any limitation at all on what the Senate could consider,” Cornyn told reporters. When asked if that means he wants to see the ethics report, he replied: “Absolutely.“
Cornyn holds a top spot on the Judiciary Committee, which will consider Gaetz’s nomination next year. All 12 Democrats on the panel also said they should be able to see the Ethics Committee report.
Gaetz is one of a series of nominees tapped by Trump this week who lack the resumes normally seen in candidates for high-level administration jobs. He would need to be confirmed by the Senate — where Republicans will have a majority of at least 52 of the 100 seats — to get the post, and a handful of that number have expressed skepticism at the choice.
“It’s premature to count votes – but a lot of questions,” Cornyn said of Gaetz’s prospects.
Gaetz, 42, resigned his House seat on Wednesday, which would end the Ethics Committee probe. He has denied wrongdoing. According to several news outlets, the panel had intended to release the report on Friday, and a source familiar with the committee’s work said it is due to meet then.
Gaetz also was investigated by the Justice Department for nearly three years over sex trafficking allegations involving a 17-year-old girl. His office said in 2023 that he had been told by prosecutors that he would not face criminal charges.
A lawyer representing the alleged victim said the ethics panel should immediately release the report. “She was a high school student and there were witnesses,” John Clune, the lawyer, posted on X.
‘DESTRUCTIVE’
Gaetz is widely disliked by his former colleagues in Congress, where he led an effort last year to force out Kevin McCarthy as House speaker, which left the chamber without a leader for several chaotic weeks. Several have questioned whether he is the right choice to lead the Justice Department.
“He was not just disruptive – he was destructive,” Republican Senator Kevin Cramer told reporters. “Matt Gaetz has a very long, steep hill to get across the finish line.”
Cramer predicted that lawmakers would be able to see the ethics report, even if it is not released to the public.
Other Republicans said they were inclined to vote for Gaetz.
“The voters of America voted for President Trump’s agenda, and so he needs to be able to build the team he needs and wants to build,” said incoming Republican Bernie Moreno, who was elected to the Senate last week.
Trump has raised the possibility of circumventing the Senate to install his personnel picks.
Gaetz, who is known for making provocative statements, has never worked for the Justice Department or as a prosecutor at any level of government. On Wednesday, he mused about abolishing the FBI, which serves as the main federal law enforcement agency.
Trump’s inner circle has described the attorney general, the country’s top law enforcement official, as the most important member of the administration after the president, key to his plans to carry out mass deportations, pardon Jan. 6 rioters, and seek retribution against those who prosecuted him over the past four years.
Trump faced two federal criminal indictments following the end of his four-year term in 2021 and has vowed to radically reshape the Justice Department when he returns to power on Jan. 20.
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REUTERS