Former Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name from consideration as President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general, Fox News reported. Gaetz was forced to do so after it appeared that the Senate would not confirm him amid sexual misconduct allegations.
Trump put Gaetz's name forward less than a week ago. Democrats immediately pounced because of allegations against Gaetz that have yet to lead to a conviction, but the barrage of criticism was too much to ignore.
On Thursday, Gaetz announced he was stepping out of the running so as not to become a "distraction" during the changeover. "While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition," Gaetz claimed.
"There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I'll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump's DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1," Gaetz added.
The House Ethics Committee conducted an investigation but has yet to share the findings. The probe was launched in 2021 after the Department of Justice began looking into allegations that Gaetz was involved in sex trafficking.
The Justice Department never pressed any charges and ultimately dropped the matter in February 2023. Gaetz's attorneys said it concluded its investigation and "determined not to bring any charges against him."
This did not stop Senate Republicans from calling for Gaetz to withdraw his name from the running and for Congress to release its full report. Sen. Chuck Grassley, who will be the chairman of next term's Senate Judiciary Committee, said the findings must be made known, the Washington Examiner reported.
"I think that if they want a speedy consideration of this nomination, we’ve got to have as much transparency as we can have. Because you’ve heard my colleagues, especially on the Republican side, say that they have some questions," the Iowa Republican said.
That sentiment was echoed by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), who is poised to be the Senate majority leader. “There’s nothing about that that would smell right to say, ‘Hey, there’s a report, but none of us want to see it,’” Lankford said.
As fellow Republicans called for more to be revealed, the New York Post reported Friday that Gaetz would resign from the next Congress. He announced this on America's Voice Network's The Charlie Kirk Show.
“I do not intend to join the 119th Congress. There are a number of fantastic Floridians who stepped up to run for my seat, people who have inspired with their heroism, with their public service," Gaetz said.
Gaetz also indicated that he would remain active from a "different perch" but did not elaborate on what that might be. This came after Gaetz won his reelection bid earlier this month and walked away from the remainder of his current term.
To date, Gaetz has not been found guilty of any crime and still maintains his innocence. However, his actions are peculiar for a person with nothing to hide as fellow lawmakers apply pressure.
Trump has shaken up Washington, D.C.'s status quo with Gaetz as his pick, but it appears the Florida Republican had more baggage than any administration could explain away. What happens next for Gaetz is anyone's guess.
