Florida congressman Matt Gaetz (R) abruptly resigned Wednesday after being named President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Justice Department.
Gaetz, a Trump loyalist, is a controversial figure with a reputation for stirring up Washington.
Trump's nomination of Gaetz stunned D.C. and led to immediate pushback from establishment Republicans, raising questions about whether Gaetz has enough Senate support to be confirmed.
The MAGA firebrand has made few friends during his time in Washington, especially after his role in triggering the historic vote to remove former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Gaetz's resignation ends a House Ethics Committee investigation into alleged sexual misconduct. The same claims were at the heart of a years-long Justice Department probe that ended last year with no charges.
Members of both parties have called for the House Ethics committee to release its findings, anyway, although the panel no longer has jurisdiction to investigate a former lawmaker - ahead of what is certain to be a dramatic confirmation hearing.
McCarthy's successor, Mike Johnson (R-LA) confirmed Wednesday that Gaetz had resigned. Johnson said Gaetz did so to give enough time to appoint a temporary successor before the next Congress is sworn in.
"If you start the clock now, if you do the math, we may be able to fill that seat as early as Jan. 3 when we take the new oath of office for the new Congress,” Johnson said.
“He’s a reformer in his mind and heart, and I think he’ll bring a lot to the table on that,” Johnson added.
Trump has made it clear that he chose Gaetz to reform the "weaponized" Justice Department, which has spent years pursuing Trump and his supporters.
In his statement, Trump credited Gaetz with helping to neutralize the Trump-Russia collusion hoax "and exposing alarming and systemic Government Corruption and Weaponization."
“Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System. Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department,” he said.
Gaetz is one of several House Republicans to be nominated by Trump for a Cabinet position, raising concern that Trump's picks could jeopardize the party's narrow House majority.
However, Gaetz's district is seen as solidly Republican, so his resignation likely will not affect the balance of power.
