On Thursday, Matt Gaetz surprised the House Ethics Committee by withdrawing from consideration as President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general. The committee is set to vote on the final report on December 5, following Republican efforts to block the release of damaging findings.
With Gaetz no longer in the running, Democrats fear that the panel's findings may never see the light of day, especially since Republicans were already hesitant to disclose the report. House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest cited that the report is still in the 'final review stages,' which has led to reservations about its release.
During a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, it was revealed that the report on Gaetz could be finalized in just a couple of hours, according to sources. Democrats suspect that Republicans are deliberately stalling the process due to pressure from House Speaker Mike Johnson and Trump's insistence on confirming his cabinet picks.
Despite the investigation being completed, committee Republicans had previously canceled a meeting to discuss the probe. The full House is expected to address the issue of releasing the report before the private meeting on December 5, unless leadership decides otherwise following Gaetz's withdrawal.
