Ethics Committee split on whether Matt Gaetz report on 'sexual misconduct' investigation will be released

The House Ethics Committee couldn't travel to an statement astir whether to merchandise its perchance damning study on Matt Gaetz's alleged intersexual misconduct.

Members connected the bipartisan sheet person been investigating allegations that Trump's lawyer wide prime Gaetz had enactment with a minor and did amerciable drugs portion a national employee. 

The sheet met connected Wednesday to find whether they should people the perchance damaging file, but couldn't hold aft deliberating for hours down closed doors.

After the marathon meeting, Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest, R-Ala., told reporters: 'There was nary statement by the committee to merchandise the report.'

Releasing it would interruption with past precedent acceptable by the sheet that nary longer has jurisdiction implicit Gaetz present aft helium resigned from Congress one time aft being tapped arsenic the nation's highest instrumentality enforcement official.

The study inactive whitethorn travel retired successful different ways, perchance via a leak oregon transmission to the Senate for a backstage viewing. 

And Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., told reporters connected Wednesday that helium is considering forcing a afloat House ballot to determine connected whether the Gaetz record should beryllium released. 

Gaetz himself was really connected Capitol Hill during the deliberation, gathering with senators helium needs connected his broadside to corroborate him arsenic lawyer wide contempt his 'sex party' scandals.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has besides travel retired firmly against the report's release, saying helium powerfully advises against it, but the committee decided to ballot connected it immoderate way. 

Just earlier the backstage meeting, Guest expressed that helium had 'reservations' astir releasing the record to the public, saying the study is not finished and is alternatively successful the 'final review' stages.  

'I person immoderate reservations astir releasing immoderate unfinished enactment product,' Guest told reporters.

He did not bespeak whether the committee was voting connected the merchandise oregon not, nor did helium bespeak whether helium would ballot for its work oregon not. 

However aft the gathering it was wide the study was discussed and that the statement among the lawmakers was to not merchandise the report. 

Awkwardly the sheet met the aforesaid time that Gaetz was touring around Capitol Hill with Vice President-elect J.D. Vance in a run to triumph enactment for his AG nomination.

GOP senators volition beryllium tasked with his confirmation travel January 2025. 

Secretary of State nominee Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., besides joined Gaetz and Vance connected Capitol Hill Wednesday. 

The trio acceptable up meetings with GOP senators to rally enactment for Gaetz's information to go lawyer general, though his galore controversies whitethorn hinder their cause. 

Some of the members Gaetz did conscionable with enactment retired statements indicating the sessions had gone well, and that they are successful afloat enactment of the Floridians nomination.

'I had a precise bully gathering with President Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, Matt Gaetz, and Vice President-elect JD Vance,' Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said successful a connection pursuing his gathering Wednesday.

'I americium committed to allowing the process to spell guardant successful a mode accordant with past practices and cardinal fairness. This process volition not beryllium a rubber stamp nor volition it beryllium driven by a lynch mob.'

Graham adjacent went arsenic acold arsenic reminding his colleagues that the Department of Justice refused to prosecute Gaetz aft reviewing the allegations against him.

'I would impulse each of my Senate colleagues, peculiarly Republicans, not to articulation the lynch mob and springiness the process a accidental to determination forward. After years of being investigated by the Department of Justice, nary charges were brought against Matt Gaetz. This is thing we should each remember.'

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., posted connected X Wednesday that she excessively had a affirmative gathering with the embattled nominee. 

'I had a large gathering with Vice President-Elect Vance and Attorney General Nominee Gaetz, and I look guardant to a speedy confirmation for our adjacent Attorney General.'

'President-Elect Trump’s furniture is going to shingle up the D.C. swamp, and we look guardant to moving his nominees done the Senate to statesman the large American comeback.'

Still, galore lawmakers connected some sides of the aisle person publically called connected the files release. 

Fueling those calls is the caller grounds from a Orlando-based lawyer Joel Leppard who represents 2 women who assertion to person accusation connected Gaetz's allegedly lurid past.

Gaetz allegedly partied, utilized drugs and paid women for enactment repeatedly betwixt 2017 and 2019 portion serving successful the House of Representatives, Leppard claims.

The bombshell allegations person been cardinal to the  House Ethics Committee probe into the ex-lawmaker as the women person reportedly testified earlier the panel. 

The Republican attended up to 10 'sex parties' wherever amerciable drugs and 'group enactment situations' were present, according to Leppard.

Both women represented by Leppard allege that Gaetz paid them for enactment via Venmo, the lawyer claims. 

Gaetz paid upwards of $10,000 dollars to 2 women connected Venmo betwixt 2017 - 2019, ABC News reports. 

'She testified [that] successful July of 2017, astatine this location party, she was walking retired to the excavation area, and she looked to her right, and she saw Rep. Gaetz having enactment with her friend, who was 17,' Leppard said Monday.

One of the witnesses alleges that she saw her friends having enactment with Gaetz astatine a enactment successful July 2017 against a crippled array thought to beryllium an aerial hockey table.

The unnamed witnesser besides says that her person was 17 years aged astatine the time.