Republicans shoot down House Dem's bid to publicize Gaetz ethics report

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The House of Representatives rejected a bid by Democrats to force the release of an ethics report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., on Thursday evening. 

Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., filed a measure known as a "privileged resolution" to make the Gaetz report public, a maneuver that forces House leaders to take up a resolution within two legislative days.

It was shot down before a final vote, however, on a margin of 206 to 198. 

House lawmakers voted to refer Casten's resolution to the relevant committee for consideration. It's highly unlikely a GOP-controlled committee would take it up, however, meaning the move essentially defeated the Democrat's effort.

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Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., speaks at a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee, President-elect Trump on Oct. 12, 2024 in Coachella, Calif. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Just one Republican, Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., voted with Democrats to table the measure.

Gaetz abruptly resigned from Congress last month in a now-failed bid to be President-elect Donald Trump's next attorney general.

His resignation also came just before the House Ethics Committee was set to consider the release of its report into the Florida Republican.

The panel had been conducting a years-long investigation into accusations against Gaetz that involved sex with a minor and illicit drug use.

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President-elect Donald Trump tapped Gaetz to be his attorney general, but that has since collapsed. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

But its jurisdiction ended when Gaetz left Congress, and Republicans have shown little appetite to buck tradition and release a report on someone who has departed Congress.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters last month that he was against releasing the report.

"I do not believe that that is an appropriate thing. It doesn't follow our rules and traditions and there is a reason for that. That would open up Pandora's box and I don't think that's a healthy thing for the institution," he said.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., was against releasing the report. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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Meanwhile, the House Ethics Committee has met twice since Gaetz's resignation and failed to come to an agreement both times on whether to release the report.

The most recent meeting occurred hours before Thursday's vote.

Gaetz, for his part, has consistently denied any wrongdoing. A federal investigation into the allegations ended without charges against Gaetz.