Republican Speaker Mike Johnson said Friday helium does not privation the House Ethics Committee to merchandise its study connected Matt Gaetz.
Following Donald Trump's information of Gaetz to service arsenic lawyer wide connected Wednesday, determination person been expanding calls from some Republicans and Democrats for the study to beryllium released publicly.
This would interruption with Ethics Committee norms arsenic Gaetz resigned his spot successful Congress instantly aft being nominated, meaning the committee nary longer has jurisdiction implicit the erstwhile Florida Republican.
But advocates for the report's merchandise accidental that its contents are pertinent to wether oregon not Gaetz gets confirmed by the Senate, and truthful it should beryllium released.
Speaker Johnson pushed backmost connected that Friday, saying helium wants the Ethics Committee to refrain from publishing the perchance damaging file.
'I'm going to powerfully petition that the Ethics Committee not contented the study due to the fact that that is not the mode we bash things successful the House, and I deliberation that would beryllium a unspeakable precedent to set,' Johnson said coming retired of his office.
The Ethics sheet was acceptable to conscionable Friday to determine whether to merchandise the report.
However that gathering was scuttled aft Gaetz's abrupt resignation.
Speaker Mike Johnson said helium does not privation the Ethics Committee to merchandise its files connected erstwhile Rep. Matt Gaetz
Gaetz was photographed astatine Mar-a-Lago connected Thursday night
Donald Trump nominated Gaetz to beryllium lawyer wide this week
His exit comes arsenic allegations resurfaced Thursday astir a woman who reportedly testified to the committee that Gaetz had enactment with her erstwhile she was 17.
The pistillate - present successful her 20s - talked astir Gaetz and her having enactment erstwhile she was a insignificant successful precocious schoolhouse portion 'representing that she was an adult,' sources adjacent told ABC News.
The FBI had investigated akin claims against Gaetz, but the DOJ opted not to indict him implicit claims helium enactment trafficked a minor.
Trump's prime of the embattled erstwhile congressman to oversee the Justice Department, FBI, DEA, ATF and related agencies has shocked Republicans and Democrats.
And the bombshell claims could derail his hopes of taking the helm arsenic lawyer general.
Already reports bespeak that Republicans successful the Senate are not on-board with Gaetz becoming AG.
According to the Wall Street Journal, sources accidental that Gaetz already has astatine slightest 30 Republicans readying connected voting against his nomination.
'The President's relation is to marque the nomination, but we request to person implicit vetting of the nominees, not lone truthful we cognize that the nominee is qualified, but besides to support the president,' Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Thursday.
He 'absolutely' wants to reappraisal the House Ethics Committee's study connected Gaetz's conduct.
Cornyn adjacent floated the thought of taking ineligible enactment to reappraisal the report's contents.
'There's assorted ways we tin glean entree to it, we tin subpoena it,' helium told reporters. 'I don't I don't deliberation immoderate of america privation to alert blind.'
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks astatine a property league pursuing elections for enactment positions wrong the House Republican Caucus successful Washington, DC connected November 13, 2024
Gaetz was by Trump's broadside during his ineligible hearings successful New York earlier this year
Cornyn argued the Senate has a relation successful weeding retired un
Earlier successful the week Johnson pleaded with Trump to not prime immoderate much Cabinet members from the House of Representatives arsenic it could endanger the Republican's slim bulk successful the chamber.
Republicans officially won power of the House connected Wednesday, gaining power of the 218 spot minimum needed to clasp the majority.
Though their bulk is already being threatened - and not by Democrats.
The president-elect has already snatched up respective high-profile GOP members of the House to capable the galore positions successful his aboriginal administration.
Already Trump has nominated Reps. Elise Stefanik of New York to beryllium Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz of Florida to beryllium nationalist information advisor and Matt Gaetz of Florida to beryllium lawyer general.
As it stands, Republicans person won 218 seats to the Democrats' 209 seats successful the adjacent Congress that volition beryllium convened successful January 2025. Eight House races inactive stay without results.
'It's a large occupation to have,' Johnson optimistically told Fox News. 'We person an embarrassment of riches successful the House Republican Congress.'
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