House Democrat pledges to force a vote to release the Gaetz report

Illinois Democrat Sean Casten is trying to force a vote on the House floor about releasing the House Ethics Committee’s report on Matt Gaetz, who is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department.

If the House Ethics Committee does not vote to release the Gaetz report Wednesday, Casten plans to introduce a privileged resolution forcing a vote of the full House to require the panel to release the investigation into alleged misconduct by the Florida Republican, who left office last week.

“The allegations against Matt Gaetz are serious. They are credible. The House Ethics Committee has spent years conducting a thorough investigation to get to the bottom of it,” Casten said in a statement. “This information must be made available for the Senate to provide its constitutionally required advice and consent.”

The privileged nature of the resolution means that it can bypass committee consideration and speed to the floor without the blessing of leadership. The House would have to act within two days.

Casten’s office said there is precedent for this move. Back in 1996, Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) introduced a privileged resolution to force the Ethics panel to release its report on alleged misconduct by then-Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.). The House voted then to kill Lewis’ move on the floor, and the committee was not forced to release its preliminary report.