The U.S. House of Representatives ethics committee secretly voted to release a report on sexual misconduct allegations against one time United States Attorney General candidate, Matt Gaetz.
The report is expected to be made public after the House’s final days of voting as lawmakers leave Washington for the holidays.
The most recent vote is a stark reversal from the panel's vote in late November to withhold the investigation's results.
CNN reported that the decision change suggests that some Republicans ultimately decided to side with Democrats on the matter. It is unclear whether the committee will once again change course now that it has voted.
When the committee previously voted to shelve the report, Gaetz was President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for Attorney General. Gaetz was forced to drop his bid for the position after the fallout over the accusations.
Gaetz has been accused of engaging in a sexual relationship with an underage girl, who reportedly told the committee she had two sexual encounters with him in 2017. The justice department also declined to charge him last year as part of a sex trafficking ring.
Gaetz has repeatedly denied the allegations and recently took to X to defend himself.
“I was charged with nothing: FULLY EXONERATED. Not even a campaign finance violation. And the people investigating me hated me,” he posted.
“In my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated - even some I never dated but who asked. I dated several of these women for years. I NEVER had sexual contact with someone under 18.”
