Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene calls for full disclosure of all ethics reports if Gaetz’s is released

The House Ethics Committee is facing scrutiny over an unreleased report related to an investigation into former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, in appearances on news programs over the weekend, urged the House Ethics Committee to not make public the contents of the report and to uphold congressional customs.

“I don’t know anything about the contents of the report because of the way the rules work. Of course, the speaker of the House can’t put a thumb on the scale or be involved in an Ethics Committee report. What I do know is that the comments about there being a precedent for releasing reports is not exactly accurate,” Johnson said, according to Fox News.

He argued that since Gaetz is no longer a member of the House of Representatives, releasing the report would breach protocol since the matter is technically out of the hands of the Ethics Committee. But a few of his Republican colleagues and a large number of House Democrats think otherwise.

Meanwhile, the House Ethics Committee plans to stay mum until the members decide what to do. Should the report be released, Gaetz’s future in the Trump administration could be in trouble.

What are House members saying about Matt Gaetz?

Gaetz, who was tapped by President-elect Donald Trump as his nominee for U.S. attorney general, faces sex trafficking allegations. He also allegedly had sexual relations with a minor. The criminal investigations into him did not lead to any charges, and the former Florida representative has denied these accusations. He resigned from Congress last week amid the House investigation.

In a social media post on Tuesday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said if Republicans decide to release the report on Gaetz, they should release all ethics investigation reports, alleging her congressional colleagues are covering up their indiscretions while “paying off victims with taxpayer money.”

“For my Republican colleagues in the House and Senate, If we are going to release ethics reports and rip apart our own that Trump has appointed, then put it ALL out there for the American people to see,” she said.

“Yes … all the ethics reports and claims including the one I filed all your sexual harassment and assault claims that were secretly settled paying off victims with taxpayer money.”

Former Republican Rep. Peter Meijer of Michigan, a never Trump-Republican who lost his seat in a primary, replied to Greene’s post, saying, “I… find this completely unobjectionable?!?”

Meanwhile, Democrats are exerting pressure on the House Ethics Committee to make its findings on Gaetz public.

“We are aware that traditionally, the Ethics Committee stops investigations into alleged misconduct when a member of Congress resigns. However, there is precedent for the House and Senate ethics committees to continue their investigations and release their findings after a member has resigned in a scandal,” the letter, addressed to House Ethics Committee chairman Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., and ranking member Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., said.

Democrats argue that the Senate needs to be well-informed during the confirmation process for Gaetz’s appointment as attorney general.

“Given the seriousness of the charges against Rep. Gaetz, withholding the findings of your investigation may jeopardize the Senate’s ability to provide fully informed, constitutionally required advice and consent regarding this nomination.”

Will Matt Gaetz get confirmed by the Senate?

Wild said she has read the findings, like others on the Ethics Committee, and believes they should be made public. Guest indicated his panel will decide what to do with the report on Wednesday following a vote. He has spoken to the House speaker but said Johnson will not influence the Ethics Committee’s decision.

All eyes are on Gaetz, and one thing is clear, he isn’t well-liked among his colleagues. Utah Rep. Burgess Owens previously admitted Gaetz is “not a very popular guy because he’s not really a team player.” But Owens said he believes Gaetz is fit for the job Trump picked him for. “He’s no question very bright. He’s very tenacious. And that’s what President Trump wants.”

The Gaetz nomination hinges on the future Republican majority in the Senate, and so far, it appears Gaetz may face an uphill battle. The New York Times reported Trump thinks Gaetz has low odds of being confirmed, but he is sticking by the nomination.

According to ABC News, Trump transition spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer suggested the claims against Gaetz are baseless. “Matt Gaetz will be the next Attorney General. He’s the right man for the job and will end the weaponization of our justice system,” Pfeiffer said.

“These are baseless allegations intended to derail the second Trump administration. The Biden Justice Department investigated Gaetz for years and cleared him of wrongdoing,” the spokesperson added.

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