Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., resigned from Congress late Wednesday, hours after President-elect Trump nominated him for U.S. Legal professional Common – and days earlier than a long-awaited Home Ethics report was reportedly to be launched about him.
Earlier Wednesday, after information broke that Gaetz was chosen for the Trump Cupboard, Home Ethics Committee Chair Rep. Michael Visitor, R-Miss., instructed reporters that their investigation, which had reportedly centered round allegations Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor and illicit drug use, would finish if Gaetz have been to step down from Congress.
Gaetz has denied these misconduct allegations.
“This changes nothing,” Visitor stated within the Capitol, referring to Gaetz’ nomination.
“I’ve been asked, ‘Does this call us to expedite our investigation?’ Once the investigation is complete, then a report will be issued,” Visitor stated. “Assuming that at that time, that Mr. Gaetz is still a member of Congress. If Mr. Gaetz were to resign because he is taking a position, with the administration, as the attorney general, then the Ethics Committee loses jurisdiction at that point. Once we lose jurisdiction, there would not be a report that would be issued that’s not unique to this case.”
Visitor stated the Justice Division had beforehand requested the committee “cease and desist” its probe, which the Home had since picked again up and was persevering with.
MATT GAETZ RESIGNS FROM CONGRESS OVER TRUMP NOD TO BE ATTORNEY GENERAL, JOHNSON SAYS
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., arrives with President-elect Trump’s motorcade on the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill on Nov.13, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Photos)
The committee was slated to vote on whether or not to launch the ethics report as quickly as Friday, Punchbowl Information first reported.
Citing a Republican supply, the New York Instances reported that the report had been delayed due to a Home rule that stops releasing damaging findings so near an election. Gaetz was the architect behind the ouster of former Home Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and dozens of Republican lawmakers tipped off about his resignation earlier than it was formally introduced Wednesday evening have been glad to see him go, Politico reported.
A Home Republican instructed Politico on situation of anonymity that Gaetz was stepping down from Congress to “stymie the ethics investigation that is coming out in one week.”
However Home Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., supplied a unique clarification. At a press convention later Wednesday, Johnson stated Gaetz instructed him he resigned abruptly to expedite the method of filling his Home seat by way of a particular election.
Republicans held onto the Home after final week’s election, cementing unified energy throughout Congress and the White Home, however there was some concern over the margin, as Trump plucks Home Republicans to hitch his new administration.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., waves on stage on the third day of the Republican Nationwide Conference on July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Leon Neal/Getty Photos)
Johnson stated he was optimistic about discovering Gaetz’s substitute earlier than the Home chooses a brand new speaker on Jan. 3, however it’s unclear if state and federal regulation can accommodate the tight timeline.
MATT GAETZ FACES GOP SENATE OPPOSITION AFTER TRUMP SELECTION FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL
“He issued his resignation letter, effective immediately, of Congress. That caught us by surprise a little bit,” Johnson instructed reporters. “But I asked him what the reasoning was, and he said, ‘Well, you can’t have too many absences.’ So under Florida State law, there’s about an eight-week period to select and fill in a vacancy. And so by doing so today, that allows me – I’ve already placed a call to Governor DeSantis in Florida and said, ‘Let’s start the clock.’ He’s in Italy at the moment. And so we’re going to talk first thing in the morning.”
“And if we start the clock now, if you do the math, we may be able to fill that seat as early as Jan. 3 when we take the new oath of office for the new Congress,” Johnson stated. “So, Matt would have done us a great service, by making that decision, as he did on the fly. And so we’re grateful for that.”
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., listens as former President Trump speaks to the media throughout his trial for allegedly masking up hush cash funds at Manhattan Felony Courtroom on Might 16, 2024, in New York Metropolis. (Angela Weiss-Pool/Getty Photos)
Home Majority Chief Steve Scalise, R-La., instructed reporters earlier Wednesday that Trump’s determination to appoint Gaetz as lawyer common “is a strong statement that the weaponization of government, you know, in the Biden administration using government against their political enemies as coming to an end, that party’s over, and we’re going to clean up the mess over at the Department of Justice.”
Politico reported, nonetheless, that a number of Republican senators have been doubting Gaetz could be confirmed to the lawyer common place., and people doubts appeared to hold over into the Home.
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“When it comes to all of his selections, I think all of them have been made with a lot of intent and respect and integrity – when it comes to the selection of Rep. Gaetz, I just think it’s silly. I believe that the president is probably rewarding him for being such a loyal soldier,” Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, instructed reporters. “But the president is smart enough, and his team is smart enough to know that Mr. Gaetz will never get confirmed by the Senate whatsoever. And so this is just going to be a very long period of time for him, that he’s going to get excoriated by members of the Senate on both sides of the aisle, because he’s never been a team player and he’s never helped out this conference.”
