It’s been an unusual month for former Rep. Matt Gaetz. Over the course of a few weeks, the Florida Republican won re-election, was chosen to serve as the next U.S. attorney general, withdrew from consideration for the cabinet post, resigned from Congress, and vowed not to serve on Capitol Hill in the new year, despite his successful 2024 campaign.
At least Gaetz can now fade away from the public spotlight, right? Well, not just yet. NBC News reported:
Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., is forcing a floor vote this week to require the House Ethics Committee to release a report on its yearslong investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. Casten introduced a resolution Tuesday that would force the bipartisan ethics panel to act. Because the resolution is “privileged,” it must be brought to the floor within two legislative days for a vote.
For those who might benefit from a refresher, let’s revisit our earlier coverage and review how we arrived at this point.
The House Ethics Committee first launched a probe into the Floridian more than three years ago, and over the summer, the panel’s members issued a rare statement explaining that their original investigation into Gaetz had expanded.
NBC News reported in June that the bipartisan panel said in a lengthy statement that it was examining whether Gaetz may have “engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct.”
In September, the then-congressman, who has long denied any wrongdoing, said that he believed the House Ethics Committee’s lines of inquiry had become “nosy,” and he would no longer cooperate with the investigation.
The panel has nevertheless prepared a final report on its findings, though its members split along party lines on whether to release the document.
After Gaetz resigned from Congress, GOP leaders said the matter was effectively over, arguing that the investigation is now moot given that the Republican is now a private citizen, rather than a sitting member.
But it’s not quite that simple. As Casten, the sponsor of the privileged resolution, has been quick to note, there’s ample precedent of the House issuing reports about former lawmakers after they’ve resigned, and the same thing has happened in the Senate, too. In theory, the vote on the privileged resolution might very well die in the face of Republican opposition, but let’s not forget that some GOP members hold Gaetz in very low regard, and they might yet be willing to consider backing the Democratic measure. As for why the Ethics Committee’s findings remain relevant, despite the former congressman’s resignation, NBC News’ report added, “[T]here has been speculation — some of it fueled by Gaetz himself — that he could run for governor of Florida in 2026 or join the Trump White House in a position that would not require Senate confirmation.” Watch this space. This post updates our related earlier coverage.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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