House Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday asked the House Ethics Committee not to release its report on former Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz.

Gates, who has been the subject of numerous allegations including sexual misconduct and illegal drug use, resigned shortly after President Trump nominated him to be attorney general on Wednesday. Now, Johnson requesting The Ethics Committee does not publish its contents. investigation It sued Gaetz on the grounds that it violated precedent and would expose former members to attack after leaving office. (Related: Freedom Caucus members slam proposed House rules that would punish conservative opponents)

“I believe it is very important to maintain the House’s tradition of not issuing ethics reports on people who are no longer members,” Johnson said. said reporters. “I think it would open up Pandora’s box. It’s a very important rule to uphold. If it’s been broken once or twice, it shouldn’t be broken.”

Last night at Mar-a-Lago, Attorney General nominates Matt Gaetz and Department of Health Secretary RFK Jr.

📷:Joe Radle/Getty Images pic.twitter.com/STdZMlqnDF

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) November 15, 2024

The Ethics Committee was scheduled to meet on Friday regarding the report. postponement Meeting after Gates’ resignation.

Gaetz is expected to face a difficult confirmation battle in the Senate with some Senate Republicans. tell The Wall Street Journal reported that a majority of his peers will vote against the former congressman. Some claim there was already talk of persuading Trump to choose another candidate.

“It’s just that Matt Gaetz has a very long and steep hill to cross the finish line,” North Dakota Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer told the Journal. “And you have to spend a lot of capital to do that. You just have to ask yourself: If we were able to get him across the finish line, was it worth the cost?”

Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who recently lost his bid for Senate majority leader, said he “absolutely” wants that. look Ethics report. Republican South Dakota State Senator Mike Rounds share Similar impressions.

All content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan news distribution service, is available free of charge to legitimate news publishers with large audiences. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and DCNF affiliation. If you have any questions about our guidelines or our partnership, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.