The House Ethics Committee voted secretly earlier this month to release a report on the conduct of former Rep. Matt Gaetz before the end of this Congress, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.
The report is expected to be released after the House votes on the last day of the year as lawmakers leave Washington for the holidays, sources said.
The vote, which has not been previously reported, amounted to a complete reversal after the committee voted along party lines in late November not to release its findings. The decision to release the report suggests some Republicans have finally decided to side with Democrats on the matter, and it’s unclear whether the committee will change course again after the vote.
When the committee voted last month to shelve the report, President-elect Donald Trump selected Gaetz to be attorney general. Gaetz has since withdrawn from consideration for Senate-confirmed positions, although he maintains a frosty relationship with many in his party and remains active in Republican politics.
It is extremely rare for an ethics report to be released after a member has left Congress, although it has happened a few times in the past. After the dispute over the report came into public view before Thanksgiving, the committee revisited the issue behind closed doors earlier this month.
The Ethics Committee report summarizes a years-long investigation into multiple allegations against Gaetz, including whether he engaged in sexual misconduct, used illegal drugs, “shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused national identity records, and used state identification records to run campaigns.” Divert funds for personal use” and/or accept bribes, improper gratuities or impermissible gifts,” according to an announcement from the panel last summer.
Gaetz has strenuously denied all the accusations and characterized the investigation as a political witch hunt.
In a post on X Wednesday in response to the CNN report, Gates stressed that another Justice Department investigation had “completely exonerated him.” He said he had “never had sexual contact with anyone under the age of 18” — something that was laid out in a House ethics report, CNN previously reported.
“My 30s were a time of working very hard and playing very hard at the same time. Embarrassingly, while it’s not a crime, I probably partyed, indulged in women, drank and smoked more than I should have in my earlier years. More. I live a different life now.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he believed the report should not be released because Gaetz suddenly resigned after Trump announced him as his original choice for attorney general and is no longer a member of Congress. Johnson admitted he had no role in the operations of the group, which has traditionally operated separately from leadership. Many lawmakers believe Gaetz resigned to cover up the investigation.
Gaetz, who was re-elected last month before resigning, said he has no plans to return to Congress next year.
“I will still fight, but it will be from a new beginning. I am not planning to join the 119th Congress,” he told Charlie Kirk in an interview last month.
“I will fight for President Trump. I will do whatever he asks me to do as usual. But I think eight years in the United States Congress is probably enough,” he said.
He also recently announced that he will be joining America News Network in January.
A spokesperson for the committee did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.
This story has been updated with additional reactions.
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