As Matt Gaetz’s ethics report reaches the public, 4 key questions remain

The House Ethics Committee first launched an investigation into then-Rep. Matt Gaetz more than three years ago, and the panel members publicly acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations surrounding the Florida Republican. However, it was an open question whether the public would ever see the results of the study.

Gaetz was discreet in his efforts to keep the information under wraps. Last month, for example, Gaetz quickly withdrew from Congress, prompting speculation that he walked away in hopes of short-circuiting the ethics process. Shortly after, House Republicans declined a democratic effort to bring the results to light, at which point the Floridian probably breathed a sigh of relief.

If so, it was too early. That was reported by NBC News last week that members of the House Ethics Committee had voted to publicly release their report on Gaetz. That represented a reversal from last month, when the same panel, split evenly between Democrats and Republicans, deadlocked over whether to release its findings.

The Floridian tried and failed to obtain an injunction to halt the release of the committee’s report, and soon after the long-awaited document reached the public. My MSNBC colleagues Hayley Miller and Clarissa-Jan Lim reported:

MSNBC has posted the entire 42-page document online, and it paints a pretty brutal picture of a Republican who “regularly” paid women for sex during his tenure on Capitol Hill. The same report accuses Gaetz of using or possessing illegal drugs, including cocaine; receiving inappropriate gifts; and helping a woman he had sex with get an expedited passport.

Anticipating that outcome, the Floridian, who has long denied any wrongdoing, issued a written statement last week admitting he “probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have” when he was younger , adding, “In my single days, I often sent money to women I dated — even some I never dated but asked.”

He nevertheless insisted that he never had “sexual contact” with minors and that the federal criminal investigation he faced had not led to any charges.

So what happens now? A few questions hang over my head.

1. Did Donald Trump not know about this or didn’t care? In case anyone has forgotten, it was last month when the president-elect announced his intention to nominate Gaetz to lead the Justice Department as the nation’s next attorney general. The result was a fiasco—Gaetz withdrew from consideration after just eight days—and evidence of a crippling transition process.

But in light of the new allegations, Trump’s decision is even harder to defend: He chose Gaetz to serve as the nation’s top law enforcement official, despite the House Ethics Committee’s investigation. Was the president-elect unaware of the investigation and the possibility of brutal findings, or did he simply not care?

2. Will Gaetz retaliate? As recently as last week, the former GOP congressman suggested entering an online statement that he was prepared to take steps to “expose all ‘me too’ settlements” paid by members of Congress. It’s not yet clear how or if Gaetz will follow up on this, or if there are lawmakers who have reason to worry about such revelations.

3. Will the House Ethics Committee’s report derail Gaetz’s future ambitions? The day before the panel’s findings reached the public, the Florida Republican, who will begin hosting a show on One America Now next month, spoke at a conservative event and said he looking at a bid for statewide office in 2026. Speaking at the same rally, Trump said Gaetz still has “a great career” in front of him.

In theory, given the scandalous allegations surrounding the former congressman, it’s hard to imagine Gaetz launching a successful campaign for governor or senator. In practice, Florida shrugged off unrelated scandals surrounding Trump and Republican Sen. Rick Scott — across multiple election cycles — so it seems hard to rule out the possibility.

4. Why did House Speaker Mike Johnson try to keep the Ethics Committee’s report from the public? While the ethics panel has traditionally operated independently, House Speaker Mike Johnson has told reporters in mid-November that he would “strongly request” the committee to keep its findings secret. The Louisiana Republican added that he was concerned about setting “a terrible precedent” by releasing a report on a former member of Congress.

In reality, however, Congress has already released ethics reports on former members – in both those House and that The Senate — prompted questions about why the sitting House speaker was so adamant about protecting Gaetz.

Overall, there is no reason to believe that the release of the House Ethics Committee’s findings will necessarily end the larger controversy.