'Spare us the drama': House ethics veteran says history shows Gaetz report must be seen

The nomination of Matt Gaetz to be attorney general set off a firestorm on Capitol Hill, where the former congressman has made many enemies and fallen under investigation for alleged sex trafficking. Now some senators are demanding the release of a House Ethics Committee report on that inquiry.

The Florida Republican resigned last week as soon as Trump announced his nomination, which complicates the release of that panel's findings, but former ethics chairman Charlie Dent published an op-ed for MSNBC arguing that Gaetz's exit from Congress should not prevent the public from learning what lawmakers found.

"Ordinarily, nominees for Cabinet positions are thoroughly vetted to identify any potential obstacles to confirmation," wrote Dent, a Republican former congressman from Pennsylvania. "Trump has eschewed any pretense of a normal vetting process and instead has sought an attorney general nominee prepared to torch the very department he would lead. Not to quibble about Gaetz’s qualifications, but he has scant experience as a lawyer and was the subject of a lengthy sex crimes investigation by the Justice Department that resulted in no charges filed against him."

The ethics committee customarily defers its own investigations while the Justice Department investigates a sitting member of Congress, and the panel resumed or continued its probe of Gaetz after the agency announced it lacked evidence to continue its inquiry. He then abruptly resigned to block the release of what Dent said was most likely a "damning report."

"Once a member of Congress resigns from office, the House Ethics Committee loses jurisdiction over the matter," Dent wrote. "Remember, too, that an ethics investigation is not a criminal investigation but rather an inquiry to determine whether a member has violated House rules.

ALSO READ: A giant middle finger from a tiny craven man

"The committee can issue various sanctions on a member, including a reprimand, censure and, in the most extreme cases, expulsion. Sometimes during the course of an investigation, the committee finds potential criminal wrongdoing and refers the matter to the Justice Department for consideration and review."

"Gaetz thought his resignation could block the report’s release and avoid having disturbing details from the report going public," Dent added. "Well, not so fast."

There's no House rule prohibiting the committee from releasing a report on a departed member, and Dent cites several examples of that happening in the past, when the panel issued a report on teen sex allegations against Rep. Don Lukens (R-OH) in 1990, misuse of campaign funds allegations against Rep. Bill Boner (D-TN) in 1987, and sexual misconduct allegations against Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) in 2006.

"The precedent of post-resignation disclosure is particularly stronger surrounding sexual misconduct by members," Dent wrote.

Lawmakers typically leave quietly when forced to resign in disgrace and aren't usually nominated to the top law enforcement position in the nation, and Dent said the Senate deserves to see the ethics committee findings before voting on whether Gaetz should be confirmed as attorney general.

"Please spare us the drama," Dent wrote. "It’s time to release the report."