WASHINGTON — Matt Gaetz withdrew on Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump elect attorney general due to ongoing conflicts over a federal sex trafficking investigation which called into question his ability to be considered a top federal law enforcement officer.
The statement ends a tumultuous eight-day period during which Trump tried to operate his decisive election victory to force Senate Republicans to accept provocative picks like Gaetz, who was investigated by the Justice Department before being chosen to lead last week. The decision could enhance scrutiny over Trump’s other controversial nominees, including Pentagon selects Pete Hegsethwho has been charged with sexual assault, which he denies.
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“While momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation unfairly distracted from the critical work of the Trump/Vance transition,” Gaetz, a Florida Republican who met with senators a day earlier to try to gain their support, — said in a statement.
“There is no time to waste on an unnecessarily prolonged fight in Washington, which is why I am withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as attorney general. Trump’s Justice Department must be in place and ready on day one,” he added.
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Trump, in a social media post, said: “I greatly appreciate Matt Gaetz’s recent efforts in securing confirmation as Attorney General. He was doing very well, but at the same time he didn’t want to distract the attention of the Administration, which he had great respect for. Matt has a great future ahead of him and I can’t wait to see all the great things he does!”
He did not immediately announce his new choice. Last week, he named personal attorneys Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and D. John Sauer to senior positions in the department. Another possible candidate, Matthew Whitaker, was announced as the US ambassador to NATO on Wednesday.
The House’s withdrawal just a week after the picks were announced avoids a fierce confirmation fight that was expected to test how far Senate Republicans would be willing to go to support Trump’s Cabinet picks.
The choice of a staunch Trump ally over respected veteran lawyers whose names had been circulating as potential candidates raised concerns about the Justice Department’s independence at a time when Trump was openly threatening retaliation against political opponents. This was highlighted by Trump’s premium it emphasizes personal loyalty and reflects the president-elect’s desire to have a disruptor at the helm of the Justice Department, which investigated for years and ultimately indicted him.
In the Senate, deeply skeptical lawmakers asked for more information about Justice Department and Congressional investigations into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls, which Gaetz denies. Meanwhile, Justice Department lawyers were surprised by the choice of a partisan legislator with limited legal experience who echoed Trump’s claims about a gun-toting criminal justice system.
As Gaetz sought to block Senate support, concerns about sex trafficking allegations continued unabated.
In recent days lawyer for two women said his clients told House Ethics Committee investigators that Gaetz repeatedly paid them for sex, starting in 2017, when Gaetz was a Florida congressman.
According to attorney Joel Leppard, one of the women testified that she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old at a party in Florida in 2017. Leppard said his client testified that she believed Gaetz did not know the girl was underage, stopped their relationship when he found out, and only resumed it when she turned 18. The age of consent in Florida is 18.
“They are grateful for the opportunity to move forward in their lives,” Leppard said of his clients Thursday. “They hope this will bring final closure to all parties involved.”
Gaetz vehemently denies any wrongdoing. A Justice Department investigation ended last year without any charges.
Gaetz’s political future is uncertain.
After being elected attorney general, he abruptly resigned from Congress in what was seen as a way to end an ethics investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. In November, he was re-elected to the new Congress, which convenes on January 3, 2025, but last week he said in his resignation letter that he did not intend to take the oath of office.
A special election is planned in Florida to replace him.
Republicans on the House Ethics Committee declined this week to release the panel’s findings because of Democratic objections on a split vote. However, the committee agreed to complete its work and is scheduled to meet again on December 5 to discuss the issue.
As news of Gaetz’s decision spread on Capitol Hill, Republican senators appeared divided.
Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who served in the House with Gaetz, called it a “positive move.” Maine Sen. Susan Collins said Gaetz “put the country first and I’m pleased with his decision.”
Others said they hoped Gaetz would be able to overhaul the department.
Florida Sen. Rick Scott, a close Trump ally, said he was “disappointed.” I like Matt and I think he would change the way the Department of Justice is run.”
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said he hopes Trump will choose someone “as tenacious and equally committed to rooting out and eliminating bias and politicization at the Department of Justice.”
Gaetz is not the only Trump nominee to face congressional scrutiny over past allegations. A detailed police report made public on Wednesday shows that the woman told police that in 2017 she was sexually assaulted by Hegseth, the former Fox News host and now Pentagon chief, after he took her phone and he locked the door to a hotel room in California and wouldn’t let her leave.
“The matter has been fully investigated and fully explained to me,” Hegseth told reporters Thursday on Capitol Hill, where he was meeting with senators to gain support for his nomination.
