Congressman Cohen Reintroduces Privileged Resolution for Release of Ethics Records on Matt Gaetz

WASHINGTON - Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee and a former member of the Committee on Ethics, today reoffered a privileged resolution continuing his effort to release the Ethics Committee's report of alleged misconduct by former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz. He will speak on the measure and notice it on the floor this evening.

Congressman Cohen said:

"Matt Gaetz faces some of the most serious and troubling allegations the Ethics Committee has ever investigated. By resigning, Gaetz thought the report would not be released. The accused should not be permitted to determine whether the Ethics Committee report will be released. Much staff time and expense has gone into the investigation. The report would apparently expose not just the salacious allegations - the sex and drugs - but also the misuse of his office, the conversion of campaign funds for personal use and other misconduct. Release of the report would educate members of Congress as to what is beyond acceptable. Justice Louis Brandeis told us more than 100 years ago that 'sunlight is the best disinfectant.' There must be something in the report or Gaetz would not have resigned.

"Gaetz also made a point of calling the Ethics investigation a 'witch hunt,' deriding the Committee, an offense against the decorum of the House that should not go unanswered. Only release of the report will establish this was no witch hunt.

"We shouldn't allow a person to escape consequences by resigning a day before a report is to be released, particularly if we expect to see that person assume a position of trust in the incoming Administration."

The resolution reads in part:

That "on April 9, 2021, the Committee on Ethics initiated a review of allegations that Representative Gaetz may have 'engaged in sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift, in violation of House Rules, laws, or other standards of conduct' in violation of Federal law and the Rules of the House."

The resolution states the Ethics Committee shall "publicly release the Committee's report, including any associated findings, recommendations, and proposed disciplinary actions, as discussed by the Committee on November 20, 2024, regarding the alleged violations of the House of the Code of Conduct or of a law, rule, regulation, or other standard of conduct by Matthew Louis Gaetz II while serving as a Member of the House of Representatives."

See the entire resolution here.

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