House Republicans on Thursday defeated an effort by their Democratic counterparts to force the release of a bombshell Ethics Committee report into sex and drug allegations against ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz.
Illinois Democratic Rep. Sean Casten had introduced a bill to push the release, arguing that Republicans were “sweeping credible allegations of sexual misconduct under the rug” by not releasing the findings of a long-running investigation into the former Florida lawmaker’s alleged sex trafficking of a minor on at least one occasion.
Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing.
Divided almost entirely along party lines, the chamber voted on Thursday 206-198 to shoot down Casten’s proposal — but that doesn’t mean the Gaetz report will never be seen.
According to the Hill, the proposal was sent it back to the Ethics Committee panel, who reportedly met behind closed doors for more than two hours on Thursday, and said they would continue having conversations regarding the report.
Gaetz resigned from Congress in mid-November, just before the Ethics Committee said it planned to release its findings. A week later, he withdrew his bid for consideration to become the nation’s top law enforcement officer after being nominated for attorney general by President-elect Donald Trump.
The 42-year-old MAGA loyalist has indicated he doesn’t plan to return to Congress.