Matt Gaetz’s report from the House Ethics Committee will be released

The House Ethics Committee has decided to release its report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.

Lawmakers on the secretive panel voted to release the report after the final votes of the year – which are scheduled for Thursday.

The House Ethics Committee’s multi-year investigation into Gaetz, involving allegations of minor sex and illegal drug use, came to an abrupt halt last month after he resigned from Congress hours after President-elect Trump chose him to be his general counsel.

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Gaetz fell out of consideration in the middle quietly but steadily GOP oppositionbut the committee lost jurisdiction over the investigation anyway when Gaetz left the House of Representatives.

Gaetz has consistently denied any allegations of wrongdoing, and a previous federal investigation into the allegations ended without charges against him.

His departure came just before the committee was expected to meet to consider releasing the report.

The meeting, which was delayed by a few days, ended in dramatic fashion after House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., told reporters that no agreement had been reached to release the report.

It got rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., the top Democrat on the committee, to return after leaving the meeting room without comment to criticize her Republican colleague.

Wild said Guest “betrayed the process by revealing our deliberations within moments of walking out of committee and he has suggested there was an agreement with the committee not to reveal the report.”

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She said the conclusion was “untrue”.

“I will say that a vote was taken. As many of you know, this committee is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, five them, five Republicans, which means that in order to move anything forward, somebody has to cross party lines and vote with the other side – which happens a lot by the way, and we often vote unanimously, that didn’t happen in today’s vote,” said Wild.

The latest decision to release the report indicates that at least one Republican lawmaker crossed the aisle and voted with Democrats.

It’s rare—but not unheard of—for the House Ethics Committee to release a report on a lawmaker after the person has left Congress.

Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters last month that he opposed releasing Gaetz’s ethics report, arguing, “It doesn’t follow our rules and traditions, and there’s a reason for that. It would open up. Pandora’s box, and I don’t think that’s a healthy thing for the institution, so that’s my position.”

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Gaetz himself released a lengthy statement about X in response to the House Ethics Committee’s decision.

“I was charged with nothing: COMPLETELY acquitted. Not even a campaign finance violation. And the people investigating me hated me. Then the very ‘witnesses’ the DOJ deemed unreliable were rounded up by House Ethics to repeat their allegations without cross-examination or challenge by me or my attorneys have never been sued,” Gaetz said.

“Instead, House Ethics will reportedly post a report online that I have no opportunity to debate or refute as a former member of the body.”

He then said of the allegations, “In my single days I often sent money to women I dated – even some I never dated but asked. I dated several of these women for years. I NEVER had sexual contact with anyone during 18. Any claim I have would be destroyed in court – and that’s why no such claim was ever made in court.”

“My 30s was an era where I worked very hard – and played hard too. It’s embarrassing, but not criminal, that I probably partied, womanised, drank and smoked more than I should have done earlier in life. I living a different life now,” Gaetz said.