Ethics Committee votes to release Gaetz report in massive reversal

The House Ethics Committee has voted to release its report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and plans to publish its body of work as soon as this week, a source confirmed to The Hill.

The development marks a massive reversal for the secretive panel, which voted against releasing the investigation last month.

The committee now plans to release the report after the House holds its last vote of the year, the source said. The chamber is currently scheduled to break for holiday recess Thursday, though it could remain in session as lawmakers consider a government funding measure.

Gaetz fired back at news reports of the panel’s plans Wednesday, proclaiming his innocence, criticizing the panel and defending “embarrassing, though not criminal” behavior from his past.

The Ethics Committee declined to comment when reached by The Hill.

The imminent release of the report — which was first reported by CNN — marks the culmination of the panel’s roughly three-and-a-half year investigation into Gaetz, which covered allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, among other accusations. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing.

The panel’s work moved into the spotlight after Gaetz was nominated by President-elect Trump to be attorney general and hastily resigned from Congress, then withdrew his name from consideration and said he would not retake office in January, a series of events that sparked a debate over whether the committee should release its report.

DEVELOPING.