"There is not an agreement by the committee to release the report," House Ethics Committee Chair Michael Guest said Wednesday after the panel met to consider the release of what's believed to be a highly damaging report on Matt Gaetz. Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the committee, said the panel was deadlocked, with all five Republicans, including Guest, voting against release and all five Democrats voting in favor, the AP reports. Sources tell the Hill that votes on releasing the report as-is and on releasing just the exhibits both failed during the closed-door meeting, but there was a bipartisan consensus in favor of formally "completing" the report.
Guest said the committee will meet again on Dec. 5 to further consider the matter. Wild said she decided to make a separate statement because she didn't want the public to think Guest's "characterization of what transpired today would be some sort of indication that the committee had unanimity or consensus on this issue not to release the report." She said Guest "betrayed the process by disclosing our deliberations within moments after walking out of the committee," the Hill reports. Democrats—and some Republicans—are calling for the release of the report on multiple allegations against Gaetz, including allegations he had sex with a minor, reports Politico.
Gaetz, who resigned from his House seat hours after President-elect Trump said he would be his nominee for attorney general, met with several Republican senators at the Capitol on Wednesday, accompanied by Vice President-elect JD Vance, the AP reports. Sen. Josh Hawley said Gaetz was in a "cheerful" mood. "If you have concerns, that's fine. But don't make up your mind yet," Hawley said. "Let the guy testify first." (A hacker has reportedly accessed a file containing testimony from the ethics panel's investigation.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
