Speaker Mike Johnson makes his decision on whether Matt Gaetz ethics report on underage sex allegations should be released [Video]

13:46 EST 15 Nov 2024, updated 15:17 EST 15 Nov 2024

Republican Speaker Mike Johnson said Friday he does not want the House Ethics Committee to release its report on Matt Gaetz.

Following Donald Trump‘s nomination of Gaetz to serve as attorney general on Wednesday there have been increasing calls from both Republicans and Democrats for the report to be released publicly. 

That would break with Ethics Committee norms as Gaetz resigned his spot in Congress immediately after being nominated, meaning the committee no longer has jurisdiction over the former Florida Republican. 

But advocates for the report’s release say that its contents are pertinent to whether or not Gaetz gets confirmed by the Senate, and therefore it should be released. 

Speaker Johnson pushed back on that Friday, saying he wants the Ethics Committee to refrain from publishing the potentially damaging file. 

‘I’m going to strongly request that the Ethics Committee not issue the report because that is not …