Matt Gaetz resigns ahead of key Ethics Committee meeting
By: Andrew Solender (AXIOS)
Do the trees hide a forest? Gaetz won't be threatening Mike Johnson's Speaker position or throwing wrenches into Johnson's legislative efforts. Is Trump using appointments from the House to obtain more control over legislation? Doesn't Mike Johnson owe Trump something now?
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) resigned from Congress just before the House Ethics Committee was set to hold a potentially pivotal meeting on its investigation into the Florida congressman, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Gaetz's resignation, just hours after Trump announced his nomination for attorney general, puts a swift end to the panel's wide-ranging probe.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Gaetz's intention was to allow a swift process to fill his seat as Trump's selection of several House members for administration roles has the GOP anxious about its slim majority.
- Gaetz could have a difficult time getting confirmed in the Senate, as many Republicans reacted to his nomination with shock and horror.
What we're hearing: The Ethics Committee had been scheduled to meet later this week on its investigation of Gaetz, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
- That meeting may have set the stage for the release of the panel's report into Gaetz as soon as Friday.
- The committee had been investigating allegations including sex trafficking, illicit drug use and accepting bribes, all of which Gaetz has categorically denied.
- Gaetz's abrupt resignation set off a flurry of speculation on Capitol Hill about whether that report will now see the light of day.
What they're saying: "I think, out of deference to us, he issued his resignation letter — effectively immediately — from Congress," Johnson told reporters at a press conference.
- Johnson said Gaetz told him his resignation was to trigger the eight-week process that it takes to fill a U.S. House seat in Florida under state law.
- "I've already placed a call to Gov. DeSantis in Florida and said 'let's start the clock' ... and we may be able to fill that seat as early as Jan. 3," he said.
Zoom in: Johnson said Trump "tipped me off" to the nomination during his appearance at a GOP Conference meeting on Wednesday morning, and that he "talked to Matt immediately after the nomination was made."
- Johnson, who served with Gaetz on the House Judiciary Committee, said the Floridian is "one of the most intelligent members of Congress, he's an accomplished attorney."
- "I think he'll bring a lot to the table on that," Johnson added.
- Other Republicans, including many of Gaetz's House GOP colleagues and some senators who will be key to his confirmation, have trashed the pick.
The bottom line: Johnson acknowledged the resignation stops the Ethics Committee probe cold, saying the panel "has no jurisdiction" over former members of Congress.
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Naturally the unbiased liberal press will focus attention on the ethics investigation. Liberals love their raunchy dirt, don't they?
But Trump may be using appointments to reshape the House to his liking. Trump does seem to be putting past critics under his thumb. Let's hope the unbiased liberal press stays on the Diddy train until it's too late.
Getting gaetz out of the house is a win for Mike Johnson.
It's my hope the Senate Republicans introduce it at his confirmation.
There is no report per house rules, so if it sees the light of day, it is because someone violated ethics.
What does that have to do with Senate rules during a confirmation hearing? Gaetz doesn't have a lot of friends in Congress right now.
You can't introduce something that doesn't exist. Senate rules have no bearing on the house.
The evidence and testimony they collected in the House investigation still exists. It didn't just vanish into the ether.
Sigh........Once the pedo Gaetz resigned the house lost jurisdiction, so there is no investigation or evidence, that is how politics work so there is no investigation. this isn't the first or last Congressman to pull this, so there is nothing to give to the senate.
A reporter at one of the Miami papers said (on bluesky) they expect a leaked copy of the report sometime today.
And a leaked copy would violate house ethics and the person who leaks it should be terminated, or expelled if a member of congress. republican or democrat. but we know that will never happen, because they have no integrity, so ethics are nothing but a joke.
As we saw with the Supreme Court leaker. This is light work compared to that.
Just like leaking trumps private tax returns by the democrats in the house, Ethics shouldn't be fungible but when it comes to the left it appears nonexistent. When the people who had Bidens daughter diary approached a right wing website they called the FBI and turned it over, if it was Ivanki and trump there would have been a 2 hour Maddow special on it.
Like it's never happened before?
If they had ethics they wouldn't be politicians.
This is perfect for Trump. The Senate's compromission is the objective.