Republicans Vote to Protect Matt Gaetz, Refuse to Release Ethics Report on Sex Misconduct Probe

All five Republicans in the U.S. House Ethics Committee voted to withhold publicizing its long-running report from a years-long investigation into a slew of allegations, including sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, and accepting improper gifts, against former Rep. Matt Gaetz.

The decision to not make the report public came after multiple rounds of votes, according to reporting by ABC News. The committee will, however, complete its investigation before reconvening in December.

Gaetz has been under heightened scrutiny since President-elect Donald Trump appointed him attorney general, a decision that has drawn ire on both sides of the aisle while Trump pressures the Senate to push his nomination through expeditiously.

The former congressman was also investigated by the Department of Justice for his alleged involvement in a sex trafficking ring and for having sex with a minor, which delayed the House Ethics' initial inquiry. The DOJ ultimately chose not to press charges.