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By Andrew Stanton
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John Clune, the lawyer representing the then-teenager at the center of the House probe into former Representative Matt Gaetz, called on Republicans to release the report into their findings.
President-elect Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he plans to nominate Gaetz, a Florida Republican and staunch ally, as his attorney general. Many in Washington were shocked by the announcement, and skepticism arose about whether enough Republican senators would vote to confirm him.
The House Ethics Committee investigated allegations that Gaetz was part of a scheme that led to the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl. In June, the committee said it was investigating whether Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct.
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Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and has not been criminally charged.
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Gaetz announced his resignation from Congress on Wednesday, shortly after Trump's announcement. The resignation comes just days before the ethics committee planned to vote on whether to release the report on their findings.
His resignation has complicated the release of that report. Gaetz said the committee only has jurisdiction over current members of Congress, but some members of the Senate, who will be tasked with confirming Gaetz, have called for the report to be released.
Clune said the report should be released in a post to X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday.
"Mr. Gaetz's likely nomination as Attorney General is a perverse development in a truly dark series of events. We would support the House Ethics Committee immediately releasing their report. She was a high school student and there were witnesses," Clune wrote.
Newsweek reached out to Gaetz's political team and office for comment via email.
Senator Dick Durbin, the Illinois Democrat who chairs the committee, is also among those who have urged the House to release that report.
"The sequence and timing of Mr. Gaetz's resignation from the House raises serious questions about the contents of the House Ethics Committee report," Durbin said in a statement. "We cannot allow this valuable information from a bipartisan investigation to be hidden from the American people."
Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican up for reelection, also told reporters that he "absolutely" wants to see the report before deciding whether to confirm Gaetz.
After winning the presidential race against Vice President Kamala Harris last week, Trump has announced several cabinet picks. Some, like Senator Marco Rubio for secretary of state, have garnered bipartisan praise.
Others, such as Gaetz, Fox News host Pete Hegseth for defense secretary or former Representative Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, have sparked more criticism.
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