Rep. Matt Gaetz abruptly resigned from Congress on Wednesday after President-elect Donald Trump announced him as his pick for United States attorney general in his incoming administration.
With his resignation, the Florida Republican has effectively ended the ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations that he engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use (Gaetz has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing).
The timing of his resignation could prove to be quite convenient for the scandal-plagued congressman. Punchbowl reported Wednesday, citing multiple sources familiar with the Ethics Committee’s Gaetz investigation, that the panel was set to vote this week on whether to release what Punchbowl sources described as a “highly damaging” report. The Washington Post confirmed Punchbowl’s reporting, citing four people familiar with the matter. (Neither NBC News nor MSNBC has independently confirmed the report.)
With Gaetz out of Congress, the Ethics Committee loses its jurisdiction to investigate the allegations. It’s unclear whether the report could still be released. A source familiar with the situation told NBC News that if the committee were to vote Thursday, protocol would allow the report to be released Friday. A spokesperson for the committee declined to comment on whether the panel was set to release a report.
Ahead of House Speaker Mike Johnson announcing Gaetz’s resignation, House Ethics Committee Chair Michael Guest, R-Miss., told reporters Wednesday that “a report would not be issued” should Gaetz leave Congress. “That’s not unique to this case,” Guest said.
If the report ends up being publicly released — and the findings are as damaging as have been reported — Gaetz’s path to attorney general could narrow significantly. Some Republicans have already balked at the idea of Gaetz leading the Justice Department.
The DOJ separately investigated allegations that Gaetz engaged in sex trafficking and had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl. The department concluded its probe in February 2023 without bringing any charges against him. (Gaetz has long denied the allegations against him.)
Regardless of whether the Ethics Committee releases its report, Gaetz would need to face a Senate confirmation process that would likely focus in part on the allegations against him and could make for some potentially embarrassing, televised scrutiny.
That is, if the Senate confirmation hearings even happen. Trump has demanded Senate Republicans allow recess appointments for his Cabinet picks, which would essentially allow him to install whomever he wants — an extraordinary break from the country’s long-established system of checks and balances. Presidents of both parties have made recess appointments, but they are often rare — Trump appears to want to circumvent the Senate entirely. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, whom Senate Republicans voted Wednesday to serve as their majority leader next term, has signaled he would acquiesce.
“We must act quickly and decisively to get the president’s nominees in place as soon as possible, & all options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments,” Thune wrote on X on Sunday, before many of Trump’s more controversial picks had been named. “We cannot let [Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck] Schumer and Senate Dems block the will of the American people.”