(Washington) The American parliamentary commission which investigated the actions accused of Matt Gaetz, chosen by Donald Trump as attorney general, separated on Wednesday over a finding of disagreement concerning the publication of its report.
Posted at 5:25 p.m.
Matt Gaetz, elected from Florida to the House of Representatives, resigned on November 13, Wednesday evening shortly after the announcement of the choice of president-elect, which caused a stir due to the very controversial nature of the character and his lack of legal experience.
His resignation effectively ended the House Ethics Committee’s investigation into alleged sexual offenses, including a relationship with a minor that he denies, illegal drug use, embezzlement of campaign funds and various professional misconduct.
Republican leaders, including the president of this assembly, Mike Johnson, affirm that this report is no longer relevant since the investigation is closed. But elected officials from both sides are calling for it to at least be transmitted to the Senate, which decides on presidential appointments.
During a closed-door meeting on Wednesday the two camps failed to reach an agreement.
PHOTO J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Michael Guest, Republican chairman of the House Ethics Committee.
“There is no agreement within the commission to publish the report,” the Republican president of this commission, Michael Guest, simply told journalists at the end of the meeting.
Matt Gaetz is accused of having had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl, which he denies, and was the subject of a federal investigation which was dismissed.
In a public letter Wednesday to the director of the American Federal Police (FBI), Christopher Wray, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Dick Durbin, demands the communication of the file of this investigation concerning the accusations of “sexual exploitation of a minor “.
“In order for the Senate to fulfill its constitutional duty in this matter, we must be able to examine in detail the material elements on the credibility of these serious accusations against Mr. Gaetz,” argue the Democratic members of this commission.
The investigation by the ethics commission launched in 2021 focuses in particular on accusations of inappropriate sexual behavior – prostitution being notably illegal in Florida – and drug consumption.
This parliamentary inquiry was interrupted when the federal investigation was opened and then resumed when it was abandoned in 2023.
