Star Tribune
House Ethics Committee secretly voted to release Matt Gaetz ethics report, source says
WASHINGTON — The House Ethics Committee voted in secret to release the long-awaited ethics report into ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz, raising the possibility that the allegations against the Florida Republican who was President-elect Donald Trump’s first choice for attorney general could be made public in the coming days.
The decision by the bipartisan committee was made earlier this month, according to a person familiar with the vote who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday. CNN first reported the vote.
It’s a stunning turnaround for the often secretive panel of five Republicans and five Democrats. Just last month, members voted along party lines to not release the findings of their nearly four-year investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct with minors and use of illicit drugs while Gaetz was in office.
Democrats had pressing to make the report public even though Gaetz was no longer in Congress and had withdrew as Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department. A vote on the House floor this to force the report’s release failed; all but one Republican vote against it.
Gaetz lashed out Wedneday on social media against the latest development, again denying any wrongdoing. He criticized the committee for its move after he had left Congress, saying he would have ”no opportunity to debate or rebut as a former member of the body.”
”It’s embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life,” Gaetz posted on X, the website formerly known as Twitter. ”I live a different life now.”
Most Republicans have argued that any congressional investigation into Gaetz ended when he resigned from the House. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also requested that the committee not publish its report, saying it would be a terrible precedent.
While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare.
Star Tribune
Hours after being sentenced to five years in prison, Minneapolis drug dealer released from jail
A Minneapolis man with a lengthy criminal history sentenced to more than five years in prison for drug and weapons convictions last week walked out of the Hennepin County Jail hours later after he was released on an apparent clerical error.
He has been out ever since.
Court documents show that Hennepin County District Judge Marta Chou sentenced Timothy Wayne Wilson, 60, on Thursday, Dec. 12 after he pleaded guilty to felony charges of second-degree drug possession and illegal possession of a firearm. He was ordered to report to the department of corrections at 10:30 a.m. that morning.
While there are no official court documents, a Hennepin County jail document shows that approximately 90 minutes later Chou ordered Wilson’s release. The jail processed that request and Wilson was released Thursday evening. How it happened remains murky.
A statement from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the county jail, said they followed Fourth Judicial District policy in releasing Wilson. The policy dictates that the county jail will use an electronic court tab application “to determine if a defendant is to remain in custody or to be released.”
The Sheriff’s Office also said it cannot access the electronic court tab and the judicial order is transmitted via court staff to the jail.
The Star Tribune obtained a copy of the “Hennepin County Jail Court Tab Report.” Under a column labeled “judicial order” it shows Chou ordered Wilson’s release.
A statement from the Hennepin County District Court said, “Judge Chou confirms that she sentenced the defendant to 68 months in prison, that she expected execution of the sentence to occur immediately, and that she did not order the defendant’s release.” They said an investigation into how the order was issued and Wilson was released is ongoing.
The stopgap measure is needed because Congress has failed to pass its annual appropriations bills to fund all the various agencies in the federal government, from the Pentagon and national security apparats, to the health, welfare, transportation and other routine domestic services. When the fiscal year ended on Sept. 30, Congress simply punted the problem by passing a temporary funding bill that expires Friday.
But the inches-thick bill goes beyond routine funding and tacks on several other measures that lawmakers are trying to push through to passage before the end of this congressional session, especially as some elected officials will not be returning in the new year.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., a called it essentially a junk sandwich, using a swear word. The chairman of the Freedom Caucus, Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., said a lot of lawmakers “are a little disappointed at how this last week has worked out.”
And then there’s the pay-raise.
Some lawmakers expressed concern that the bill turns off a pay freeze provision that was included in the previous short-term spending measure. That change could allow a maximum pay adjustment of 3.8% or $6,600 in 2025, bringing their annual pay to $180,600, according to a Congressional Research Service report.
Members of Congress last got a raise in 2009, when the salary was increased 2.8% to $174,000 annually. If member pay had not been frozen since 2009, salaries would be about $217,900.
Multiple sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said the Walz team was not pleased with steps Flanagan had taken to assume the governorship.
Read the original article
Future of government spending deal unclear after Trump opposition
Stock market plummets after Fed forecasts fewer rate cuts in 2025
Hours after being sentenced to five years in prison, Minneapolis drug dealer released from jail
Future of government spending deal unclear after Trump opposition
Stock market plummets after Fed forecasts fewer rate cuts in 2025