U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to reporters during a press conference by House Republican leaders at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Nov. 12, 2024.
Nathan Howard | Reuters
House Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday called the House Ethics Committee’s investigation into Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. attorney general, a “Pandora’s box” and said the report should not be made public.
“I understand the report is not complete. It’s in draft form. It’s not ready to be made public yet, and I don’t think it’s appropriate to do that since Matt Gaetz has left Congress,” the Louisiana Republican said. He appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
The House Ethics Committee was investigating claims that Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct, illegal drug use and other crimes. Gaetz suddenly resigned from Congress two days before the panel was set to vote on releasing the report, Punchbowl News reported last week.
“I think it would be a Pandora’s box. I don’t think the House of Commons Ethics Committee wants to use all of its enormous resources and powers to go after individual citizens,” Mr Johnson said.
Gaetz’s resignation effectively ends the ethics committee investigation. That’s because the panel’s scope is limited to members of the House of Representatives.
On Thursday, an attorney for a woman who claims she had sex with Gaetz when she was a minor said the ethics committee should make the report public.
Johnson believes the Senate should not rely on the report to confirm the former Florida lawmaker.
“The House of Lords has an advice and consent role under the Constitution, and that is what it will do,” Mr Johnson said. “They will go through a rigorous review and vetting process in the Senate, but there is no need to rely on draft reports or draft reports prepared by the Ethics Committee for very limited purposes.”
Johnson and Gaetz did not immediately respond to CNBC’s emailed comments.
Sen. Markwayne Mullen of Oklahoma said Sunday that the House Ethics Committee “absolutely” should release the Gaetz report.
“The Senate must advise and agree with these individuals, and in the process we will give Matt Gaetz the same opportunity we give all of President Trump’s nominees,” Mullin said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “If he’s qualified, he’s qualified. To be honest, I didn’t even know he was a lawyer until he was appointed attorney general and I had to do some research on him.”
Gaetz was previously implicated in a federal investigation into whether he was involved in the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl. The investigation, which ended last year without charges, was conducted by the Justice Department. Gaetz will lead the agency if confirmed as U.S. attorney general.
On Friday, a woman’s attorney told the ethics committee that she saw Gaetz having sex with a minor, NBC News reported.
“My client testified to the House Ethics Committee that he witnessed Rep. Gaetz having sex with a minor at a House party in Orlando in 2017,” said attorney Joel Leppard.
Gaetz has denied all charges against him. Last September, he declared he would stop cooperating with the House panel and shared a letter strongly denying “any sexual activity with any individual under the age of 18.”
—CNBC’s Kevin Breuninger Contributed to this story.
