Speaker Johnson opposes releasing Matt Gaetz’s House Ethics report: ‘Open a Pandora’s box’
House Speaker Mike Johnson recently discussed his opposition to releasing the House Ethics Committee report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday.” Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, explained that releasing the report after Gaetz’s resignation could set a dangerous precedent.
Johnson emphasized that he was not privy to the contents of the ethics report, as the speaker of the House is not involved in Ethics Committee reports. He pointed out that the jurisdiction of the Ethics Committee is limited to current members of Congress, and releasing a report on a former member could open a “Pandora’s box” of issues.
ABC News reported that a woman testified to the ethics committee that she had a sexual relationship with Gaetz when she was 17 years old. The House investigation ceased when Gaetz resigned from Congress. Gaetz vehemently denied the allegations, calling them “invented” and potentially false testimony.
The Department of Justice had previously investigated Gaetz for accusations of sex trafficking and obstruction of justice, but ultimately did not press charges. Gaetz has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
As Gaetz has been nominated by President-elect Trump to serve as U.S. attorney general, details of the Ethics Committee report could potentially come to light during the Senate confirmation process. Sen. John Cornyn, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, expressed interest in seeing the report as part of the investigation.
It is essential to note that the original article was sourced from Fox News and included images of Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Matt Gaetz, along with key points made during Johnson’s interview. The article also highlighted the ongoing controversy surrounding Gaetz and the potential impact on his nomination for U.S. attorney general.
In conclusion, the discussion surrounding the release of the Ethics Committee report on Gaetz remains a contentious issue, with implications for his future in public office. Stay tuned for further developments on this story.
