Top Democrat on ‘Ethics’ Committee Revealed as Leaker of Gaetz Report

Democratic Rep. Susan Wild, the ranking member of the House Ethics Committee, has been identified as the source of leaked information from the committee’s investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz. The bombshell revelation comes after months of speculation and amid renewed scrutiny of the Ethics Committee’s handling of the Gaetz probe.

The investigation, which began over allegations of sеxual misconduct against Gaetz, was poised to release a potentially damaging report before he resigned from Congress in late 2024. Gaetz’s resignation effectively ended the committee’s jurisdiction over him, but that didn’t stop select details of the report from being leaked to the media. These leaks coincided with a surge of negative coverage aimed at Gaetz, a staunch ally of President-elect Trump.

According to The Hill, sources within the Ethics Committee traced the leaks back to Rep. Wild, who subsequently admitted to being responsible. Wild’s absence from a crucial committee meeting last week raised eyebrows and appeared to confirm suspicions. Her Chief of Staff, Jed Ober, claimed she chose not to attend the meeting due to frustration with how the report was handled. “Rep. Wild was frustrated by the manner in which the report was handled and didn’t feel it was fruitful to participate in any further meetings on its ‘potential’ release. Characterizing it as anything more is inaccurate,” Ober told The Hill.

This leak scandal has sparked intense backlash and questions over the integrity of the Ethics Committee, which is supposed to maintain strict confidentiality. The exact nature of the information Wild leaked, and to whom, remains unclear. However, the selective release of parts of the Gaetz report to the press suggests a deliberate effort to damage his reputation even after his resignation.

Gaetz, who left Congress after withdrawing his nomination for U.S. Attorney General, has long maintained that the investigation was politically motivated. The Biden Department of Justice previously dropped its own investigation into Gaetz, exonerating him in February 2023. Despite this, the Ethics Committee revived the allegations amid Gaetz’s high-profile battle to oust then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Wild’s role in the leaks casts a shadow over her final days in Congress, as she plans to step down at the end of the year. It remains uncertain whether she will participate in future Ethics Committee meetings. In her absence, Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) served as acting ranking member during last Thursday’s meeting.

Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS), the committee’s chair, assured reporters that more work remains, indicating that the fallout from Wild’s leak and the Gaetz investigation is far from over. The breach of trust has further deepened the partisan divides in Washington, where the weaponization of ethics investigations remains a hot-button issue.

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