Senators from both parties are asking to see the House Ethics Committee's findings about former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz.
Gaetz resigned from the House on Wednesday after being nominated by Donald Trump to serve as attorney general in the president-elect's second term. Gaetz's resignation ended a years-long probe by the committee that looked into allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor and illicit drug use.
The House Ethics Committee was reportedly readying a vote to release their potentially damning report on Friday. The committee lost its jurisdiction over Gaetz with his resignation, making an official release of the report unlikely.
Asked on Thursday if he would make an effort to see the report, Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he would “absolutely” do so before confirming the pick.
“I don't want there to be any limitation at all on what the Senate could consider,” Cornyn told reporters.
BREAKING: Senate Republicans want to see the House Ethics Report concerning Matt Gaetz's sex trafficking allegations.
— Aaron Parnas (@aaronparnas.bsky.social) November 14, 2024 at 1:32 PM
Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin, D-Ill., demanded the report remain intact and be turned over to his chamber. In a statement, Durbin questioned the timing of Gaetz’s resignation and emphasized the Senate’s need to analyze its findings.
“I am calling on the House Ethics Committee to preserve and share their report and all relevant documentation on Mr. Gaetz with the Senate Judiciary Committee,” Durbin wrote. “We cannot allow this valuable information from a bipartisan investigation to be hidden from the American people.”