Former Rep. Matt Gaetz filed a lawsuit Monday asking a federal judge to block the official release of the long-awaited House Ethics Committee report on possible misconduct during his tenure.
Gaetz filed his lawsuit around the same time that CNN and other news outlets reported the draft findings of a report into his alleged sexual misconduct and drug use, making it difficult for Gaetz’s lawsuit to be effective. It is unclear what kind of impact it will have. Moreover, within hours of filing the case, the commission officially published its report on its website, effectively invalidating his case.
In a lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C., against the commission and its chairman, Gaetz claims that releasing the report would cause “immediate, severe and irreparable” damage to his reputation. He argued that one of the reasons for this was that “media coverage would be immediate and widespread.” He also claimed that he was not informed of the commission’s plans to publish the report and was not provided with a copy of the material.
“As a result, Plaintiff has not been afforded an opportunity to respond to any reports or findings,” the complaint states.
Gaetz’s lawyers said he had “frequently and vehemently proclaimed his innocence regarding allegations of wrongdoing” and had asked the committee to “cease the investigation and afford him proper due process rights.” He said the Republican-run committee has been “unresponsive” to those demands.
CNN has reached out to Gaetz’s attorney regarding this report. The House Ethics Committee declined to comment on the lawsuit.
In a post to “This was not the kind of courtroom where the allegations were made.” He also cited testimony from women who said they did not charge for sex, saying that “giving money to the person you are dating” is not prostitution.
“Issuing a report with clear admission that the commission lacks jurisdiction over former members, fails to follow constitutional concepts of due process, and fails to adhere to its own procedural rules and precedents. “The apparent intent to do so represents an unprecedented overreach that threatens fundamental constitutional rights and established procedural protections,” the complaint states.
