Top Democrat on Ethics panel accuses Republican chair of ‘betraying the process’ on Matt Gaetz report

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The top Democrat on the House Ethics Committee has accused the panel’s Republican chairman Rep Michael Guest of having “betrayed the process” after a meeting resulted in no decision on whether to release the report into former Florida Congressman and Attorney General nominee Matt Gaetz. Rep Susan Wild, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said on Wednesday afternoon: “We had agreed that we were not going to discuss what had transpired at the meeting … The chairman has since betrayed the process by disclosing our deliberations within moments after walking out of the committee.” The House Ethics Committee was unable to reach an agreement on releasing its report into Gaetz’s alleged sexual misconduct and illicit drug use during its Wednesday meeting. To the extent that that suggests that the committee was in agreement, or that we had a consensus on that — that is inaccurate.” Gaetz spent Wednesday on Capitol Hill meeting with Senate Republicans whose support he needs to be confirmed as attorney general “I will say that a vote was taken,” she added. “As many of you know, this committee is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, five Dems, five Republicans, which means that in order to affirmatively move something forward, somebody has to cross party lines and vote with the other side, which happens a lot, by the way, and we often vote unanimously.” “That did not happen in today's vote, and I do not want the American public, or anyone else to think that Mr. Guest’s characterization of what transpired today would be some sort of indication that the committee had unanimity or consensus on this issue not to release the report,” Wild said.