All eyes on House Ethics Committee amid controversy over Gaetz report

All eyes will be locked on the House Ethics Committee this week as it weighs whether to release its report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) following his nomination by President-elect Trump to serve as attorney general.

The question of publishing the report has emerged as a heated debate on Capitol Hill, with some lawmakers in both parties pushing for its release as Gaetz looks to serve as the next chief law enforcement officer, and others — mainly Republicans — arguing that it is moot since he is no longer in Congress.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) sided with the latter argument last week, contending that publication of the report at this juncture would risk opening a “Pandora’s box” for future former lawmakers. It remains unclear what path the panel will pursue. Last week, a source told The Hill the situation is “very fluid.”

Some of Trump’s other cabinet picks are sure to be the subject of conversation next week in the Capitol — particularly the Senate, where they will face confirmation hearings and votes. Top of that list is Trump’s nominee for secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, who, according to new reports, paid a woman who had accused him of sexual assault as part of a settlement agreement.

Also this week, lawmakers will likely begin discussing how they plan to fund the government by the Dec. 20 shutdown deadline. Johnson over the weekend floated a short-term spending bill to kick the deadline into early next year, when Republicans will officially have a trifecta in Washington.

Debate over Gaetz Ethics report to grow

The debate over whether or not the House Ethics Committee should release its report into Gaetz is poised to grow even more pronounced this week, with pressure growing on the panel to publish its findings as Johnson urges the group to keep its final product private.

It remains unclear when the panel is set to meet next. The group scrapped its meeting that was scheduled for Friday, though committee chairman Michael Guest (R-Miss.) said it was postponed and not canceled.

The continued speculation over the report’s release comes after Johnson on Sunday reiterated his belief that the committee should not publish its findings, telling CNN’s “State of the Union” and “Fox News Sunday” that such a move would break precedent of the panel publishing reports of former members. He noted that such a situation has happened at least twice in history — once in 1987 with former Rep. William Boner (D-Tenn.) — but argued that those instances were a break in tradition and not the precedent.

“There's a very important reason for the tradition and the rule that we always, have almost always followed. And that is that we don't issue investigations and Ethics reports on people who are not members of Congress. I'm afraid that that would open a Pandora's box because the jurisdiction of the Ethics Committee is limited to those who are serving in the institution,” Johnson said on “Fox News Sunday.”

“There's a precedent for releasing reports is not exactly accurate. Yeah, there are two breaches of the tradition in the past under very extraordinary circumstances. I don't think this meets that criteria,” he added.

The comments from Johnson on Sunday and late last week marked a shift in his tone from earlier in the week, and a break from the way the House leader usually acts in regards to the Ethics committee. The Speaker initially said he was not involved in the timing of a release, but took a stance on the debate as the days went on.

Some questioned if Johnson changed his posture at the urging of Trump, whom he visited with in between making those comments. Last week, the Speaker said “I’m not talking to anybody about what I’ve said to Trump” when asked if the pair had spoken about the Gaetz report. On Sunday, however, he said no such discussions had occurred.

“The president and I have literally not discussed one word about the Ethics report, not once,” he told CNN’s “State of the Union.”

The Ethics Committee had been investigating whether Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, among other allegations. It launched the probe in 2021. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing.

Hegseth allegations to dominate chatter in Senate

Hegseth’s nomination to serve as Pentagon chief during the Trump administration is sure to be the topic of conversation in the Senate this week after a pair of bombshell stories about a sexual assault incident broke, raising questions about his path to confirmation.

Late last week, the Monterey Police Department in California confirmed that Hegseth was investigated as part of a probe of an “alleged sexual assault” at a home in the city in October 2017. The city did not say if charges were filed in the case or indicate Hegseth was the aggressor, but a summary of the report did disclose that the victim suffered a contusion to their right thigh.

Hegseth told incoming White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Trump’s lawyers during a call that the encounter was consensual, a source with knowledge of the meeting told Vanity Fair.

Adding to the controversy, The Washington Post first reported over the weekend that Hegseth paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault as part of a nondisclosure agreement.

Hegseth’s confirmation was already in question amid scrutiny of some of his past comments, including that women should not serve in combat roles. The two new reports, however, will likely dominate the discussion surrounding Hegseth in the Senate as he prepares to face a confirmation hearing and vote next year.

One lawmaker said the allegations could put an end to his effort to become the next Defense secretary.

“It could,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday when asked if the story could sink Hegseth’s confirmation.

“He fits the role of the secretary of Defense. I think he's a good pick,” Mullin added. “But once again, as allegations come out, we'll figure out if, as the Senate moves forward with the advise and consent to the president of the United States and doing our constitutional duties, we'll figure out if he can get confirmed or not.”

Congress stares down funding deadline

Johnson on Sunday said the House will likely look to move a short-term spending bill ahead of next month’s shutdown deadline, though it remains unclear if Democrats — and even all Republicans — will get on board.

“So we're running out of clock. December 20th is the deadline. We're still hopeful that we might be able to get that done, but if not, we'll have a temporary measure, I think, that would go into the first part of next year and allow us the necessary time to get this done,” Johnson said on “Fox News Sunday.”

Such a move would give the GOP control over wrapping up government funding for fiscal year 2025, since they will control all levers of power — House, Senate and White House — in Washington at that time. Johnson alluded to that dynamic in his remarks, describing the short-term stopgap as an opportunity for Republicans, and Trump, to have more influence on spending.

“I think that would be ultimately a good move, because the country would benefit from it, because then you'd have Republican control, and we'd have a little more say in what those spending bills are,” he said.

That path would, however, force Congress to deal with government funding within the first 100 days of Trump’s administration — a time that is usually set aside for top priorities and lofty campaign goals.

It remains unclear if a short-term stopgap into early next year would muster enough support in the Capitol to pass. Democrats, for starters, may balk at the measure, hoping to instead wrap up fiscal year 2025 appropriations with the Democratic-controlled senate and Biden White House. Hardline Republicans also abhor continuing resolutions, a fact that could complicate the stopgap’s path to the president’s desk.

Lawmakers have until Dec. 20 to fund the government or risk a shutdown.