Representative Susan Wild (D-PA), the leading Democrat on the House Ethics Committee, allegedly did not attend a committee meeting last week because she had been identified as a source of press leaks concerning the investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). The specifics of the information Wild leaked, the recipients, and the methods used by the committee to trace the leaks back to her remain undisclosed. Sources inside the committee indicate that Wild admitted leaking details.
During Wild’s absence, Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) acted as the ranking Democrat on the committee. This is standard procedure whenever a member cannot attend. It is not yet determined if Wild, who will leave Congress at the end of the year, will participate in future committee meetings. Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS), the committee chairman, confirmed they plan to continue meeting beyond last week’s session.
Jed Ober, Wild’s chief of staff, claims the Democrat did not attend the recent meeting due to dissatisfaction with the handling of the Gaetz report, emphasizing that framing her absence differently was misleading. Wild was an outspoken critic of the committee’s decision not to release its report on Gaetz last month.
The meeting was to deliberate on the Gaetz investigation, which ignited controversy after Gaetz was tapped as President-elect Donald J. Trump’s first choice for Attorney General and his subsequent resignation from Congress. Gaetz, however, later withdrew his name from consideration to lead the Justice Department.
Known for its strict confidentiality, the Ethics Committee has been investigating Gaetz for over three years on allegations of misconduct. The committee closed its probe after Gaetz’s resignation as it lacks authority over non-members.
Leaks have emerged about the probe, including details on meetings and committee votes, which violate the committee’s confidentiality rules. Wild lost her reelection to Republican Ryan Mackenzie in November’s general election.
