John,

Yesterday, Donald Trump announced his nomination of Rep. Matt Gaetz – who has been under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct and obstruction of the investigations into his conduct – to serve as the country’s next attorney general.

Since his nomination yesterday, Gaetz has resigned from Congress. His resignation comes just days before the House Ethics Committee’s reported planned vote to publicly release the findings of its investigation into his conduct.

While resigning from Congress prevents the Ethics Committee and the House of Representatives from sanctioning Gaetz for any misconduct, there’s nothing preventing the Committee from sharing its report, findings and exhibits with the public.

We just sent a letter to the Ethics Committee demanding that it release its report and findings on Matt Gaetz to the public.

John, CREW is also currently involved in litigation with the Department of Justice to obtain its records related to the now-closed criminal investigation into Gaetz.

The Ethics Committee is charged to prevent violations and promote compliance with House rules and laws by members of Congress. As we said in our letter, this charge demands the release of the Gaetz investigation to the public.

There is precedent for the House and Senate ethics committees to continue investigations and release findings after a member resigns in scandal.

The Committee continued to investigate Rep. Eric Massa for sexually inappropriate behavior long after he resigned from Congress. The Senate Ethics Committee publicly released its report into Sen. John Ensign days after his resignation, going so far as to forward it to the Department of Justice and the FEC.

If true, the allegations against Gaetz under investigation by the Ethics Committee would represent a significant breach of public trust. They include not only allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor, but also the acceptance of improper gifts and the giving of special favors to people he had a personal relationship with.

The public has a right to know what the Committee’s investigation turned up, especially given Gaetz’s resignation in a potential attempt to block its release.

Thank you,

Noah Bookbinder
President
CREW