In Washington, D.C., Congressman Sean Casten from Illinois is calling for an ethics report about former Congressman Matt Gaetz to be released. Casten wants the report to be made public because it investigates serious claims about Gaetz.
The House Ethics Committee, made up of both Democrats and Republicans, has been looking into allegations against Gaetz for years. These claims include sexual misconduct and drug use. Gaetz has always denied doing anything wrong.
Casten introduced a rule that forces the committee to make a decision. Because of how the rule works, the House of Representatives must vote on it soon.
This situation comes after a big announcement. In November, former President Donald Trump said he wanted Gaetz to be the next attorney general. But Gaetz resigned from Congress the same day. A week later, he withdrew his name for the position because many Republican senators didn’t support him, mainly due to the ethics investigation.
The Ethics Committee discussed releasing their findings but couldn’t agree. Republicans and Democrats on the committee were split. The chairman, Michael Guest, said there was no need to continue with the investigation after Gaetz stepped down.
Sean Casten disagrees. He believes people deserve to know the truth, even though Gaetz is no longer in Congress. Casten says there have been other times when the committee has shared reports about former members, and Gaetz shouldn’t be an exception.
There’s also talk about what Gaetz might do next. Some people think he might run for governor of Florida in 2026 or work for Trump in another capacity.
“This is about accountability,” Casten said. “Resigning shouldn’t let anyone escape being held responsible.”