Washington In an unsuccessful attempt to stop the House Ethics Committee from releasing a final report detailing its investigation into him, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., requested an eleventh-hour restraining order against the committee on Monday.
In breach of its own regulations, the committee was accused in the court petition of making a “unconstitutional” attempt “to exercise jurisdiction over a private citizen through the threatened release of an investigative report containing potentially defamatory allegations.”
In the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Gaetz’s attorneys claimed that the committee’s plan to make the report about him public “represents an unprecedented overreach that threatens fundamental constitutional rights and established procedural protections” after the panel admitted that “it lacks jurisdiction over former members.”
Gaetz’s reputation would be permanently damaged by the report, according to the complaint, which also claimed that the planned release “concerning matters of sexual propriety and other acts of alleged moral turpitude constitutes irreparable harm that cannot be adequately remedied through monetary damages.”
After the court challenge was filed in the morning, Gaetz’s lawyers were promptly notified by the clerk’s office that the complaint contained paperwork mistakes that needed to be fixed before any further action could be taken. After the committee’s report was made public later Monday, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta gave Gaetz until 5 p.m. ET to explain why his lawsuit shouldn’t be dismissed as moot.
Gaetz’s lawyers concurred that it ought to be thrown out, stating that the harm had already been done.
“Due to the Defendant s unprecedented and procedurally defective decision to publicize the Report that was the subject of Plaintiff s Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order without notice to Plaintiff and while Defendants knew or reasonably should have known of this pending action, Plaintiff has now suffered irreversible and irreparable harm,” the filing stated.
The House Ethics Committee voted last week to make the panel’s report outlining its probe into Gaetz publicly available, according to an NBC News report. The investigation, which lasted for years, looked into claims that Gaetz had used illegal drugs and committed sexual misconduct, received inappropriate gifts, provided preferential treatment to those with whom he had personal relationships, and impeded the House investigation.
In a post on X last week, Gaetz denied any criminal misconduct and stated that, while he paid ladies he dated when he was single, he NEVER had sex with someone younger than 18. I worked really hard and played hard during my thirties.
“I probably partied, womanized, drank, and smoked more than I should have earlier in life,” he added, adding that it’s embarrassing but not illegal. My life has changed since then.
Gaetz was not charged by the Department of Justice after they looked into his possible involvement in sex trafficking.
Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration to serve as attorney general under President-elect Donald Trump due to concerns about the accusations against him. After Trump appointed him, he left the House last month.
Although Gaetz has claimed that disclosing ethics reports on former members is against the committee’s procedures, this has happened before. The committee issued reports on them two months after the 1987 resignation of Bill Boner, D-Tenn., and the day of the 1990 resignation of Buz Lukens, R-Ohio.
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