Republican U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin on Sunday urged the House of Representatives to release an unreleased ethics report on alleged sexual misconduct involving a 17-year-old girl by Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general.
Gaetz, 42, resigned from the Republican-controlled House on Wednesday, hours after Trump announced his nomination, and two days before the House Ethics Committee was set to release its report.
The report also investigates allegations of illegal drug use.
Gaetz denies any wrongdoing.
Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Mullin emphasized that the Senate, which confirms high-level nominations, needs access to the report.
“The Senate should have access to that,” Mullin stated.
“Should it be released to the public or not? That I guess will be part of the negotiations.”
Gaetz is among several Cabinet nominees chosen by Trump who lack traditional qualifications for high-level roles.
He requires Senate confirmation, where Republicans hold a slim majority of at least 52 seats.
Some senators have already expressed skepticism about the pick.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has opposed releasing the ethics report, reiterating on Sunday that while he cannot block the committee’s actions, he believes withholding the report is the right approach.
“I’ve just simply said what I believe is an obvious point, that we don’t want to go down that road,” Johnson told CNN.
Mullin, who has previously criticized Gaetz as unprincipled, said, “The background of Matt Gaetz does matter,” but added that he would give Gaetz a fair evaluation before deciding on confirmation.
The Justice Department investigated Gaetz for nearly three years over sex trafficking allegations but ultimately declined to press charges.
The teenager’s lawyer has called for the report to be made public.
Mullin also hinted at allowing Trump to bypass Senate approval through a recess appointment if necessary.
Senate Democrats, however, remain strongly opposed to Gaetz’s nomination.
Democratic Senator Chris Coons stated, “The Senate has a constitutional role… to ensure a president-elect doesn’t appoint unqualified individuals to lead critical agencies like the Department of Justice.”