Following ongoing scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking probe that raised questions about the former congressman’s suitability to be confirmed as the country’s top federal law enforcement official, Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday from consideration as President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for attorney general.
The declaration was made by the Republican from Florida a day after he met with senators to try to gain their support for his confirmation as head of the Justice Department.
“It is evident that my confirmation was unjustly becoming a distraction to the crucial work of the Trump/Vance Transition, even though the momentum was strong,” Gaetz said in a statement announcing his withdrawal. I will be removing my name from consideration for the position of Attorney General because there is no time to squander on an unnecessary, drawn-out Washington dispute. On Day 1, Trump’s DOJ needs to be established and operational.
In a social media post, Trump expressed his gratitude for Matt Gaetz’s recent efforts to obtain clearance to serve as Attorney General. Although he was doing extremely well, he did not want to cause any trouble for the Administration, which he really admires. I’m excited to see all the amazing things Matt will accomplish in the future.
Gaetz’s resignation is a setback to Trump’s efforts to choose staunch followers to his new cabinet and the first indication that Trump may encounter opposition from his own party to candidates with dubious backgrounds.
Gaetz made his revelation a few days after a lawyer for two women claimed that his clients informed investigators from the House Ethics Committee that Gaetz paid them for sex several times starting in 2017, when Gaetz was a congressman from Florida. Following Trump’s announcement that he would nominate him for the Cabinet, he resigned from the House.
Joel Leppard, the lawyer, said one of the women claimed that she witnessed Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old at a party in Florida in 2017. According to Leppard, his client stated in court that she didn’t believe Gaetz was aware the girl was young, ended their relationship when he did, and didn’t start up again until after she turned 18. In Florida, the legal age of consent is 18.
Gaetz has strongly denied any wrongdoing and stated last year that he was not facing any federal charges as a result of the Justice Department’s investigation into claims of sex trafficking involving minors.
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