Maddow Blog | As Matt Gaetz’s ethics report reaches the public, 4 key questions remain

The House Ethics Committee first launched a probe into then-Rep. Matt Gaetz more than three years ago, and the panel’s members publicly acknowledged the severity of the allegations surrounding the Florida Republican. It was an open question, however, whether the public would ever see the findings of the investigation.

Gaetz was unsubtle in his efforts to keep the information under wraps. Last month, for example, Gaetz quickly resigned from Congress, prompting speculation that he was walking away in hopes of short-circuiting the ethics process. Soon after, House Republicans rejected a Democratic effort to bring the findings to light, at which point the Floridian probably breathed a sigh of relief.

If so, it was premature. NBC News reported last week that members of the House Ethics Committee had voted to publicly release their report on Gaetz. It represented a reversal from last month, when the same panel, divided evenly among Democrats and Republicans, deadlocked on whether to issue its findings.

The Floridian tried and failed to get a restraining order to halt the release of the committee’s report, and soon after, the awaited document reached the public. My MSNBC colleagues Hayley Miller and Clarissa-Jan Lim reported:

The House Ethics Committee found that then-Rep. Matt Gaetz bought illegal drugs, paid multiple women for sex and had sex with a 17-year-old while he was serving in Congress, according to a final draft of the committee’s report released Monday. The committee found “substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House rules, state and federal laws, and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, acceptance of impermissible gifts, the provision of special favors and privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” the report says.

MSNBC has published the entirety of the 42-page document online, and it paints a rather brutal picture of a Republican who “regularly” paid women for sex during his tenure on Capitol Hill. The same report accuses Gaetz of using or possessing illegal drugs, including cocaine; accepting improper gifts; and helping a woman he was having sex with obtain an expedited passport.

In anticipation of this outcome, the Floridian, who has long denied any wrongdoing, issued a written statement last week, conceding that he “probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have” when he was younger, adding: “In my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated — even some I never dated but who asked.”

He nevertheless insisted he never had “sexual contact” with minors and that the federal criminal investigation he faced had not led to any charges.

So, what happens now? A few questions hang overhead.

1. Did Donald Trump not know about this or not care? In case anyone has forgotten, it was just last month when the president-elect announced his intention to nominate Gaetz to lead the Justice Department as the nation’s next attorney general. The result was a fiasco — Gaetz withdrew from consideration after just eight days — and evidence of a shambolic transition process.

But in light of the new allegations, Trump’s decision is even tougher to defend: He chose Gaetz to serve as the nation’s chief law enforcement official, despite the House Ethics Committee’s investigation. Did the president-elect not know about the probe and the possibility of brutal findings, or did he simply not care?

2. Will Gaetz retaliate? As recently as last week, the former GOP congressman suggested in an online statement that he was prepared to take steps to “expose every ‘me too’ settlement” paid by members of Congress. It’s not yet clear how or whether Gaetz will follow through on this, or whether there are lawmakers who have reason to worry about such disclosures.

3. Will the House Ethics Committee’s report derail Gaetz’s future ambitions? The day before the panel’s findings reached the public, the Florida Republican, who’s set to begin hosting a show on One America Now next month, spoke at a conservative event and said he’s eyeing a bid for statewide office in 2026. Trump spoke at the same gathering and said that Gaetz still has “a big career” ahead of him.

In theory, given the scandalous allegations surrounding the former congressman, it’s difficult to imagine Gaetz launching a successful campaign for governor or senator. In practice, Florida shrugged off unrelated scandals surrounding Trump and Republican Sen. Rick Scott — across multiple election cycles — so it’s seems difficult to rule out the possibility.

4. Why did House Speaker Mike Johnson try to keep the ethics committee’s report from the public? While the ethics panel has traditionally operated independently, House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters in mid-November that he would “strongly request” that the committee keep its findings under wraps. The Louisiana Republican added that he was concerned about setting “a terrible precedent” by releasing a report on a former member of Congress.

In reality, however, Congress has already released ethics reports about former members — in both the House and the Senate — prompting questions as to why the incumbent House speaker was so adamant about shielding Gaetz.

Taken together, there’s no reason to believe the release of the House Ethics Committee’s findings will necessarily end the larger controversy.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com

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