Gaetz is suing to block publication of the ethics commission's report

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., filed a lawsuit Monday to block the release of a House Ethics Committee report on his alleged conduct.

In a complaint filed in federal district court in Washington, D.C., the Republican’s lawyers contend that Gaetz is innocent, say the conduct described in the report is untrue and claim that the committee has no jurisdiction over him because he is no longer in office.

The House Ethics Committee’s multiyear investigation into Gaetz, which included allegations of sex with a minor and illegal drug use, was abruptly closed last month after it was withdrawn hours after President-elect Trump named him his attorney general Congress resigned. Gaetz later withdrew his nomination.

The House Ethics Committee then released the report on Monday.

MATT GAETZ REPORT OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE ETHICS COMMITTEE TO BE PUBLISHED

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz attends the New York Young Republican Club’s annual gala on December 15 in New York City. (AP/Yuki Iwamura)

“It is expected that defendants’ expected statements and release of information will contain indications and inferences that plaintiff engaged in conduct that amounted to ‘misconduct’ or was otherwise unethical,” it said it in the statement of claim. “The expected statements and information are false, factually incorrect and untrue because the plaintiff has not violated the Criminal Code or other ethical standards within the defendant’s jurisdiction.”

“Once released, the damage to the plaintiff’s reputation and professional reputation would be immediate, serious and irreversible, in particular for the following reasons: a. The committee’s findings would bear the imprimatur of official congressional action; b. Media coverage would be immediate and widespread; c. The “allegations would remain permanently in the public record; d. There is no adequate legal remedy to retract or correct information once it has been published,” it added.

The filing states: “Following Plaintiff’s resignation from Congress, Defendants improperly continued their investigation and appear to have voted to publicly release reports and/or investigative materials relating to Plaintiff without proper notice or disclosure to Plaintiff.”

“The Committee’s apparent intention to publish its report after explicitly acknowledging that it lacks jurisdiction over former members, does not follow constitutional notions of due process, and does not adhere to its own procedural rules and precedents constitutes a “It represents an unprecedented overreach that threatens fundamental constitutional rights.” established procedural protections,” it continues.

Last week, after the committee voted to release the report, Gaetz wrote on

GAETZ RETREATS AS NOMINATE ATTORNEY GENERAL

Rep. Matt Gaetz speaks at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 17, 2024. (AP/J Scott Applewhite)

“Not even a campaign finance violation. And the people who investigated me hated me. Then the very ‘witnesses’ that the DOJ deemed unreliable were assembled by the Ethics Commission to repeat their claims, without cross-examination or challenge from me or my attorneys.” “I never had the opportunity to confront an accuser to provide. I’ve never been sued,” Gaetz said.

“When I was single, I often sent money to women I dated – even some I never dated but who asked for it. I dated several of these women for years. “I have NEVER had sexual contact with anyone under 18,” he continued. “Any claim I have would be destroyed in court – which is why such a claim has never been made in court.”

“My 30s were a time when I worked very hard – and played hard too. It is embarrassing, although not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life,” Gaetz concluded. “I live a different life now.”