Matt Gaetz Issues Threat to Congress as House Ethics Report Looms

What's New

Former Congressman Matt Gaetz is threatening to "expose" the supposed "me too" settlements of his former colleagues after the House Ethics Committee voted to release a report on its investigation of sexual misconduct accusations leveled against the Florida Republican.

Newsweek reached out for comment to the offices of GOP Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries via email on Wednesday.

Why It Matters

Gaetz resigned from Congress on November 13, just after President-elect Donald Trump nominated him to serve as U.S. attorney general. The former congressman withdrew himself from consideration a week later after facing doubts over his ability to gain Senate confirmation.

The House Ethics Committee report—focused on allegations including a claim that Gaetz had sex with a minor—was initially blocked from release by Gaetz's resignation and likely played a key role in the failure of his nomination to Trump's Cabinet.

Former Congressman Matt Gaetz is pictured at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 17. Gaetz on Wednesday suggested that he may seek revenge for the House Ethics Committee's decision to release a report... Win McNamee/Getty Images

What To Know

CNN reported on Wednesday that the House Ethics Committee held a private vote to release the Gaetz report. In a pinned post to X, formerly Twitter, Gaetz, 42, wrote hours later that "someone suggested" a "plan" for him to retaliate against sitting House members.

The plan would involve Gaetz returning to the House when its new session begins on January 3, when the former congressman would decide to "participate in the Speaker election" since he was reelected to his Florida U.S. House seat before resigning.

Gaetz wrote that he would then "take the oath" to serve in the next Congress, before filing "a privileged motion to expose every 'me too' settlement paid using public funds (even of former members)."

After filing the motion, which would require the House to vote on the matter within 48 hours, Gaetz would then resign from Congress again to start hosting an opinion show on the right-wing One America News Network, which is set to begin days later.

In an earlier post, Gaetz reacted to news of the report's impending release by insisting that he had already been "FULLY EXONERATED" and that those involved in the investigation "hated" him.

What People Are Saying

Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, on X: "If Congress is going to release one ethics report, they should release them all. I want to see the Epstein list. I want to see the details of the slush fund for sexual misconduct by members of Congress and Senators. I want to see it all."

Lawyer and Democratic activist Aaron Parnas, on X: "When you read the Gaetz report, remember that Donald Trump nominated Matt Gaetz to serve as the chief law enforcement officer in our nation."

What Happens Next

The House Ethics Committee is expected to release the Gaetz report as soon as next week, when the chamber is on holiday break. While Gaetz has confirmed that he intends to begin a new career on television, whether he carries out his plan for revenge remains to be seen.