Former Rep. Matt Gaetz filed a lawsuit Monday against the House Ethics Committee to attempt to stop the release of the report that details an investigation into him and his wrongdoings, such as his alleged sexual interactions with minors, drug use and misuse of campaign funds.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Washington and calls for the emergency blocking of the report’s release. It names the Ethics Committee and Chairman Michael Guest, Mississippi Republican, as defendants.
The complaint says that the committee is going beyond its jurisdiction to release a report on someone who is no longer a member of Congress, since he resigned last month.
“The Committee’s apparent intention to release its report after explicitly acknowledging it lacks jurisdiction over former members, its failure to follow constitutional notions of due process, and failure to adhere to its own procedural rules and precedent represents an unprecedented overreach that threatens fundamental constitutional rights and established procedural protections,” the lawsuit said.
Mr. Gaetz’s attorneys argue that the ethics report contains “untruthful and defamatory information” that “would significantly damage” his reputation immediately, severely and irreversibly.
The Washington Times has reached out to the House Ethics Committee and Mr. Guest for comment.
Mr. Gaetz left office when President-elect Donald Trump tapped him to be attorney general, but he then withdrew his name from consideration amid the furor over his ethics case.
