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    • Gaetz resigns before the Ethics Report can be released
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    Gaetz resigns before the Ethics Report can be released

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    Topline

    Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., resigned from Congress “effective immediately,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. said, just hours after President-elect Donald Trump appointed him as the next attorney general — and reportedly days before the House Ethics Committee prepared to release a report on sexual misconduct and drug allegations against him.

    Key facts

    Johnson said Gaetz’s resignation “took us a little by surprise.”

    Noting that the vacant seat could be filled as early as Jan. 3, Johnson told reporters he will speak with Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., Thursday morning about appointing a new congressman.

    Trump nominated Gaetz as attorney general earlier Wednesday, surprising members of Republican Congress, some of whom were “shocked” by the choice and believed it was not a “serious nomination for attorney general.”

    Gaetz will need to be confirmed by the incoming Republican-majority Senate, where he will face a mix of opposition and support.

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    What will happen to the House Ethics Committee investigation into Matt Gaetz?

    Gaetz, who is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over allegations of sexual misconduct and illegal drug use, will no longer be subject to the investigation after his resignation. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., confirmed on multiple channels that the committee has no jurisdiction over a member of Congress once that member leaves.

    Surprising fact

    The House Ethics Committee was just two days away from voting on whether to release a “highly damaging” report on its investigation into Gaetz, according to Punchbowl News, which cited unnamed sources familiar with the investigation.

    Important background

    Gaetz will need a majority in the Senate to become attorney general, although the opposition he faces in the House could complicate matters. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told reporters Wednesday that she is confident Gaetz will be questioned during his confirmation hearing on the ethics committee’s investigation, which also examined allegations that he accepted improper gifts and gave special privileges to friends had given. Gaetz has denied wrongdoing and the Justice Department declined to pursue criminal charges against him in an investigation that concluded last year. Gaetz, however, has staunch supporters in the Senate, such as Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., who said “we’re going to try to get (GOP senators) out of the Senate” if they stand in the way of Gaetz’s nomination. The Senate will soon consist of 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats.

    Read more

    ‘Shocked by the nomination’: Gaetz as Attorney General Pick stuns members of Congress (Forbes)

    Matt Gaetz under new ethics committee investigation for obstruction and favors to friends (Forbes)

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