The Hitchhiker's Guide to Gaetz's status in the House and the Ethics Committee report

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., resigned from the House past week. That is final. The precedent of the House is that erstwhile you bow out, it is done. So, Gaetz cannot revoke his missive of resignation past week. It declared helium was stepping speech "effective immediately."

As reported earlier, Gaetz could service successful the caller Congress. He was duly re-elected to his spot for the caller Congress to beryllium seated connected Jan. 3. In his missive to the clerk of the House, Gaetz declared, "I bash not mean to instrumentality the oath of bureau for the aforesaid bureau successful the 119th Congress to prosecute the presumption of Attorney General successful the Trump Administration."

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Reps. Matt Gaetz (R) and Andy Ogles perceive arsenic erstwhile President Donald Trump speaks to the media during his proceedings for allegedly covering up hush wealth payments astatine Manhattan Criminal Court connected May 16, 2024, successful New York City. (Angela Weiss-Pool/Getty Images)

However, Fox is told that Gaetz would person to pass the clerk of the House that he, successful fact, does mean to service successful the caller Congress – if helium elects to bash so. Gaetz has not signaled his aboriginal plans. That portion of the Gaetz missive is not binding. 

Technically, the House Ethics Committee indispensable wrapper up its enquiry into Gaetz by the extremity of this Congress astatine 11:59:59 americium EST connected Jan. 3. However, determination is precedent for the House Ethics Committee voting to transportation implicit an enquiry from 1 Congress to another. So it’s not unheard of that this is simply a done deal.

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Matt Gaetz heads to the House enclosure arsenic members of the US House of Representatives ballot connected the articles of impeachment against the US Homeland Security Secretary connected Capitol Hill successful Washington, D.C., connected Feb. 6, 2024. (Brendan Smailowski/AFP via Getty Images)

The committee inactive wants to decorativeness its existent work. However, if Gaetz is not going to service successful the caller Congress and has withdrawn his information for lawyer general, this apt diminishes the value of publically releasing the study of a erstwhile member. Yes, determination whitethorn beryllium damning accusation successful the report, but the House usually does not merchandise reports astir erstwhile members – adjacent though determination is precedent for doing so. Moreover, the Senate Judiciary Committee isn’t funny successful the report, present that Gaetz is not earlier them arsenic the lawyer wide nominee.  

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In addition, if Gaetz does elite to service successful the House, that would assistance the GOP with their numbers, with Reps. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Michael Waltz, R-Minn. – and possibly much – leaving to articulation the Trump administration.