Republican Representative Derrick Van Orden (Wisc.) expressed his intention to vote in favor of releasing the House Ethics Committee’s report on allegations of misconduct against former Representative Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who has been nominated by President-elect Trump to serve as attorney general.
In an interview with CNN’s Manu Raju on Wednesday night, Van Orden emphasized the importance of transparency for informed decision-making. “I think it’s very important that everybody has as much knowledge as possible so that they can make an informed decision,” he said.
House Ethics Committee’s refusal to release Gaetz’s report sparks bipartisan debate on transparency
Earlier in the day, the House Ethics Committee decided against disclosing the contents of Gaetz’s report, despite public pressure to do so. After a closed-door session and multiple votes, the committee opted to withhold the details of the report, which some lawmakers believe is crucial for the Senate’s decision on confirming Gaetz as attorney general. The report allegedly includes claims of sexual misconduct against Gaetz.
Gaetz has firmly denied allegations involving a minor, and he resigned from the House following Trump’s nomination, effectively ending the investigation into the matter.
In response to the Ethics Committee’s decision, Representative Sean Casten (D-Ill.) has introduced a motion to release the findings through a privileged resolution. If the committee fails to disclose the information, the motion would force a vote in the House within two legislative days. The committee could also revisit the issue and release the report later, with a meeting set for December 5.
Van Orden, who has had a contentious relationship with Gaetz, told CNN that he would support releasing the report. “If the rumors are true about Mr. Gaetz’s conduct, then there should be referrals to other agencies, and if they’re not, then there’s a whole lot of people that owe him an apology,” he stated.
