Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks during a news conference amid threats that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, is threatening to oust Johnson from his leadership post, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
- Mississippi Congressman Michael Guest chairs the House panel. He has noted that the Ethics Committee only has jurisdiction over a member when they are serving in Congress.
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters on Friday that he was “going to strongly request that the Ethics Committee not issue” its investigative report into the conduct of now former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz (R)
Gaetz, who has denied wrongdoing related to allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, was announced by President-elect Donald Trump this week as his nominee for U.S. Attorney General.
“Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department,” Trump wrote on TruthSocial, calling Gaetz a deeply gifted and tenacious attorney. “On the House Judiciary Committee, which performs oversight of DOJ, Matt played a key role in defeating the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, and exposing alarming and systemic Government Corruption and Weaponization. He is a Champion for the Constitution and the Rule of Law.”
Prior to the announcement of the nomination by Trump, Gaetz resigned his congressional seat, reportedly taking the Speaker and others by surprise. The sudden resignation could benefit the slim GOP majority in the chamber given that under Florida law, there is roughly an eight-week window to select and fill a vacancy.
As for the report, Speaker Johnson called its potential release “a terrible breach of protocol and tradition and the spirit of the rule” now that Gaetz is no longer a member of the chamber.
“The rules of the House have always been that a former member is beyond the jurisdiction of the Ethics Committee, and so I don’t think that’s relevant,” Johnson said.
Chairman of the House Ethics Committee is Mississippi 3rd District Congressman Michael Guest (R). He told CNN on Wednesday that panel only has jurisdiction over a member when they are serving in Congress.
As for Gaetz being the Attorney General nominee, Guest said “like most members, I was surprised.”
“You know, I’m not going to question the president on his selections, whether it be attorney general or any other Cabinet-level position,” he added.
A request for further comment from Guest’s office given Speaker Johnson’s latest remarks on the matter was referred to the Ethics Committee. No response has been received as of press time.
Across the Capitol, Senators, such as Texas’ John Cornyn, who will be tasked with confirming Gaetz as the next Attorney General have expressed interest in the House report being released. As noted by The Hill, two Senators – Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine – have already expressed strong reservations about Gaetz’s nomination.
Republicans will hold a 53-seat majority in the U.S. Senate, meaning four GOP members could tank the President’s nomination.
Gaetz was in his fourth term in the U.S. House, where he served on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. Prior to serving in Congress, the 42-year-old worked as an attorney in Northwest Florida with the Keefe, Anchors & Gordon law firm. In 2010, he was elected to serve in the Florida House of Representatives.
