Sean Casten

House Republicans on Thursday voted against releasing the House Ethics Committee report about former Rep. Matt Gaetz's alleged child sex trafficking, protecting the Florida Republican whose nomination to be attorney general went up in flames thanks to his history of bad behavior.All but one House Republican voted to table a resolution filed by Illinois Democratic Rep. Sean Casten, which would have ordered the release of the report. Republicans argued that the report should be kept secret now that Gaetz is a former member and the House no longer has jurisdiction over him. However, Casten's resolution included multiple instances of times the House Ethics Committee released findings on ethical lapses by former members of the chamber."Given the serious nature of the allegations against Representative Gaetz, a failure of the Committee on Ethics of the House of Representatives to publicly release its report on its investigation undermines the committee’s credibility and impedes the safety, dignity, and integrity of the legislative proceedings of the House," the resolution stated.

Rep. Sean Casten on Tuesday launched a second bid to make public a House Ethics Committee report of its investigation of former Rep. Matt Gaetz.

A House Democrat is moving to force the chamber into voting on releasing an ethics report into Rep. Matt Gaetz.

The pardon was a sharp reversal for Biden.

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) could try returning to the congressional seat he resigned from, but he would potentially have to run for election again. And it's not clear he wants to. Why it matters: The scandal-prone Republican firebrand withdrew Thursday as President-elect Trump's intended attorney general nominee — leaving his political future uncertain. Gaetz had already won re-election but resigned from his seat on Nov. 13, the same day Trump announced him as his AG pick, and shortly before the House Ethics Committee was set to hold a potentially pivotal meeting on its wide-ranging probe into him.Gaetz's potential path back to Congress is a legal gray area, government experts told Axios.Representatives for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and the Florida Department of State did not immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment.State of play: Leaders on Capitol Hill seem likely to let DeSantis and his secretary of state, Cord Byrd, decide whether Gaetz could serve as a representative in the upcoming 119th Congress without a special election, Politico reported Thursday.House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said during a Nov. 13 news conference that he had already contacted DeSantis to "start the clock" on filling the vacant seat.Even if Gaetz wanted to reconsider the House, his resignation letter is likely to still be considered a "triggering mechanism" for DeSantis to call a special election, Casey Burgat, director of the Legislative Affairs program at George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management, told Axios.Gaetz's resignation should bar him from returning to serve in the 118th Congress in its final weeks, he said, but it "doesn't preclude him from running in that special election" for the 119th. Zoom in: Gaetz didn't have to resign from Congress to serve in Trump's Cabinet, said David Lublin, the chair of the government department at American University. If he returns to Congress now, Gaetz will lose all of the seniority he had amounted from serving since 2017. "To the extent he was moving up in committees and had a right to chair things, he doesn't get to do that," Lublin said.In his resignation letter, Gaetz said he does not "intend to" be sworn into another House term. Gaetz's wife Ginger Gaetz also commemorated "the end of an era" in a Thursday post on X."Gaetz could try and say 'Hey, I just said I don't intend to return,' but the reality is if the speaker has declared a vacancy, he can't halfway resign," Lublin said. Context: Gaetz's resignation came before the House Ethics Committee was set to hold a meeting on its investigation regarding sex trafficking, illicit drug use and bribe allegations against him.Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) on Thursday said the House should still release its report on its investigation into Gaetz — as other Democrats have called for.What we're watching: Trump could appoint Gaetz to a role in his upcoming administration that doesn't require confirmation, Lublin said."One has the sense that Matt Gaetz's ego is a little too big for the House of Representatives," he said. Go deeper: What to know about Matt GaetzMatt Gaetz withdraws as Trump's AG nomineeCongress breathes sigh of relief as Gaetz withdraws AG bid

Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.), the chairman of the House Ethics Committee, said former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-Fla.) decision to withdraw from consideration for attorney general “should end the discussion” regarding whether the panel should release its report on the Florida Republican. The comments from Guest came shortly after Gaetz announced he would bow out of [...]

Matt Gaetz's former congressional colleagues, in both parties, raised a collective cheer Thursday as the onetime Florida congressman withdrew his nomination for attorney general.Why it matters: Gaetz's decision spares the House from a brutal fight over an Ethics Committee report on him and the Senate from an even bloodier battle over his nomination.But the question members were left still asking: Will Gaetz return to be sworn in for his term in the 119th Congress?What we're hearing: "This is the only decent thing Matt Gaetz has ever done," said one House Republican, speaking on the condition of anonymity.Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) told Axios: "I don't think he was going to make it across the finish line anyway.""It settles the matter, we're on to the next one. We've got a lot of work ahead of us ... it's really important we don't lose focus," said Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-N.Y.)."It was the right thing to do," said Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.).Yes, but: Plenty of Gaetz's former colleagues were loath to comment."I don't believe in kicking someone while they're down," said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.).On the Senate side, Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) told reporters: "I respect his decision."Zoom in: Several senior House Democrat told Axios that Gaetz's resignation puts to rest the battle over the Ethics panel's report."That's the end of the fight," said one.But Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) signaled plans to move forward with his motion to force a House vote on releasing the report, saying it "remains important that the ... report be made available to the American people."What to watch: One House Republican predicted that Gaetz's withdrawal is "indicative of what will happen with the other 3 problem nominees."Those three: Pete Hegseth, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard, the nominees for defense secretary, health and human services secretary and director of national intelligence, respectively.The lawmaker also forecast that Gaetz will have a "significant position" in the Trump administration that will not require Senate confirmation.Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.

House Democrats will push to release the Ethics Committee report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) despite Gaetz's decision Thursday to withdraw his name from the running to lead the Justice Department in President-elect Trump's incoming administration. Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.), who had introduced a resolution Wednesday to force a House vote on releasing the [...]

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A total of 37 Democrats in Congress have called on Biden to drop out following a rocky debate performance and two gaffe-filled public appearances.

A total of 36 Democrats in Congress have called on Biden to drop out following a rocky debate performance and two gaffe-filled public appearances.

A rapidly growing chorus of Democratic lawmakers is calling for President Joe Biden to drop his reelection bid, even as the president insists he’s ready to return to the campaign trail to counter what he calls a “dark vision” laid...