Gaetz-gate: Navigating the President-elect's most baffling Cabinet pick

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., whitethorn beryllium done with Congress. But Congress is not done with him. And arsenic President-elect Trump’s prime to service arsenic Attorney General, Gaetz is seemingly not done with Congress, either.

Gaetz negotiated with Mr. Trump to go Attorney General connected a formation to Florida – conscionable hours aft the incoming President spoke to House Republicans successful Washington past week. Mr. Trump past made Gaetz his prime and the Florida Republican resigned.

What wasn’t known astatine the clip was that the House Ethics Committee was connected the precipice of releasing a study investigating allegations of "sexual misconduct" and "illicit cause use" by Gaetz. Gaetz stopped cooperating with the House probe implicit the summer. The FBI probed Gaetz for years – but dropped its enquiry successful February.

The Ethics Committee dashed a planned gathering wherever it apt would person published accusation astir its inquest regarding Gaetz connected Friday. But since Gaetz is nary longer a Member of Congress, the committee supposedly is powerless to act.

THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO POTENTIALLY RELEASING THE ETHICS COMMITTEE REPORT ON GAETZ

With Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., named President-elect Trump's improbable prime for Attorney General, a glaring question looms ahead: what volition go of the Ethics Committee's study connected alleged improprieties by the congressman? (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., said the pursuing connected Wednesday erstwhile asked astir the Gaetz probe – but earlier the Florida Republican resigned.

"Once the probe is complete, past a study volition beryllium issued - assuming that astatine that time, that Mr. Gaetz is inactive a Member of Congress. If Mr. Gaetz were to resign due to the fact that helium is taking a presumption with the medication arsenic the Attorney General past the Ethics Committee loses jurisdiction astatine that point. Once we suffer jurisdiction, determination would not beryllium a study that would beryllium issued. That's not unsocial to this case," said Guest.

Other Ethics Committee members tried to sidestep treatment of Gaetz.

"I'm not making immoderate comments connected that. I'm connected the Ethics Committee truthful I'm staying wide of that," said Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla.

"Can you inactive merchandise the report?" asked Rachel Scott of ABC.

"Nope. Sure can't," replied Rutherford, turning toward Scott.

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That is mostly however the House Ethics Committee rolls erstwhile it comes to outstanding investigations involving erstwhile Members.

But it is not a hard and accelerated rule.

Fox has recovered that the Ethics Committee released the accusation connected its probe into imaginable power peddling by the precocious Rep. John Murtha, D-Penn., aft his decease successful 2010.

The House Ethics Committee has reportedly released its findings connected erstwhile Reps. John Murtha, D-Penn., and Bill Boner, D-Tenn., aft their departures from office. (Scott J. Ferrell/Congressional Quarterly/Getty Images | CQ Roll Call via Getty Images)

The Ethics Committee besides released a 699-page study connected erstwhile Rep. Bill Boner, D-Tenn., aft helium near bureau successful 1987. The committee recovered that Boner utilized run funds to question to Hong Kong and whitethorn person utilized his bureau to power a defence contractor.

The Ethics Committee investigated erstwhile Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., aft helium was caught sending inappropriate messages to House pages successful 2006. Foley abruptly resigned from the House. But the morals sheet hauled successful a big of bipartisan Congressional leaders for closed doorway depositions to find what they whitethorn person known astir Foley’s activities.

That said, determination is simply a mode connected the level to dislodge an Ethics Committee report.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE GAETZ HOUSE ETHICS REPORT?

There is simply a mechanics called "question of privileges of the House." A lawmaker could instrumentality the level nether this procedure, making the statement that keeping the Gaetz morals study nether wraps impugns the dignity and integrity of the House. The House would beryllium required to ballot connected specified a motion. If palmy connected the floor, the morals sheet could beryllium compelled to merchandise the report.

Yours genuinely asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., if Democrats mightiness effort to dislodge the Gaetz study from the Ethics Committee.

Pergram: "Could you envision a script where Democrats effort to someway dislodge this morals study done a parliamentary maneuver?"

I asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., if his enactment planned connected uncovering a mode to dislodge the Gaetz study from the Ethics Committee. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Jeffries: "The Ethics Committee is an incredibly bipartisan committee. It's the lone committee successful the Congress that is evenly divided. And it has a agelong past of having principled individuals connected it. And I defer astatine this infinitesimal to immoderate people they determine to take. And I anticipation they instrumentality a people that is bipartisan."

The Senate Judiciary Committee volition survey the credentials of Gaetz, tally inheritance checks and yet clasp a confirmation proceeding earlier voting the information to the level for a vote. It could besides artifact the information arsenic well.

Senate Majority Whip and Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., formally asked the House Ethics Committee to nonstop implicit the study arsenic it reviews the fittingness of Gaetz for the job.

MATT GAETZ'S NOMINATION ROCKS CAPITOL HILL

"The series and timing of Mr. Gaetz’s resignation from the House raises superior questions astir the contents of the House Ethics Committee report," said Durbin. "This accusation could beryllium applicable to the question of Mr. Gaetz’s confirmation arsenic the adjacent Attorney General of the United States and our Constitutional work to counsel and consent."

Democrats weren’t the lone ones trying to pry escaped the report.

"I deliberation determination should not beryllium immoderate regulation connected the Senate Judiciary Committee's investigation, including, immoderate the House Ethics Committee generated," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, seems keen to unearth the Gaetz report's findings, saying determination should "not beryllium immoderate limitation" connected what the Senate Judiciary Committee tin investigate. (Reuters)

Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., serves connected the Ethics Committee. He hinted that the sheet should see dispatching the study to the Senate.

"I deliberation the Senate surely had a close to petition it. I can't speech astir our interior deliberations. But the accusation that they've requested, I deliberation it's wholly reasonable," said Ivey. "In fact, I deliberation it's indispensable for them to get that benignant of accusation earlier they marque a decision."

On Friday, Johnson noted that helium "doesn’t power the Ethics Committee."

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But Johnson went further than helium had earlier astir his views connected releasing the report.

"We should instrumentality to the contented of not releasing a study connected a erstwhile Member of the House due to the fact that it would unfastened a unsafe Pandora’s box," said Johnson.

Johnson reaffirmed that during an quality connected Fox News Sunday erstwhile asked astir releasing the report.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., cautioned against releasing the Ethics Committee's findings, citing precedent and the imaginable opening of a "dangerous Pandora's Box." (Getty Images)

"I deliberation this would beryllium a breach of protocol that could beryllium unsafe for america going guardant successful the future," said the Speaker.

It’s imaginable the Senate Judiciary Committee could subpoena the study from the Ethics Committee. And arsenic suggested earlier, determination is simply a mode to dislodge the study from the sheet via a ballot connected the House floor. Such a script would enactment a batch of Republicans successful a pugnacious spot. They whitethorn fearfulness that voting to merchandise the study could enactment them connected the incorrect broadside of incoming President Trump. That’s to accidental thing of the prospective Attorney General.

But Gaetz isn’t liked by his erstwhile House colleagues. In fact, immoderate Republicans whitethorn person much disdain for the erstwhile Florida Congressman than Democrats. That’s partially due to the fact that it was Gaetz who single-handedly triggered a ballot past twelvemonth to region erstwhile House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. That maneuver pitched the House into 3 weeks of chaos.

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Gaetz is nary longer a Member of the House. But that doesn’t matter. The combat implicit the morals study is conscionable getting started. And that’s spurring conscionable arsenic overmuch pandemonium arsenic if Gaetz were inactive a Member.