President-elect Donald Trump‘s pick for attorney general in his second administration, former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, withdrew his name from consideration on Thursday. The Florida Republican who was poised to be nominated as the nation’s top cop has previously been in the legal crosshairs himself in multiple sex trafficking investigations.
Gaetz Bows Out: Gaetz announced the decision in a Thursday post on X.
“I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback – and the incredible support of so many. 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 posted.
“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,” he continued.
Earlier Developments: Gaetz, who resigned from Congress Nov. 13 following Trump’s announcement, had previously been under federal and congressional investigation.
The New York Times obtained a redacted document from the federal investigation, which was later dropped, on Wednesday.
The document includes a map created by investigators alleging that Gaetz sent thousands of dollars to women and associate Joel Greenberg, who previously pleaded guilty to sex trafficking charges, on Venmo. According to testimony, the individuals who received the money were involved in “sex parties” from 2017 to 2020. Gaetz also allegedly paid $450 to a 17-year-old.
ABC News obtained a document from the House Ethics Committee with similar findings on Wednesday.
The separate investigation found that Gaetz sent over $10,000 on Venmo to women who testified in the House probe. Transactions included Gaetz’s notes for the women, including “being my friend,” “extra 4 u” and “being awesome.” These transactions totaled over $1,000, the report said.
The House investigation ended when Gaetz resigned.
Why it Matters: Gaetz faced a tough path to confirmation in a Republican-controlled Senate. The Republican party will hold a 53-47 majority come January. Still, only four GOP defections — perhaps Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) — would have sunk Gaetz’s nomination.
It is now unclear who Trump will select to fill the AG role. Traders on prediction market Polymarket quickly reacted to Gaetz’s announcement. Trump’s pick for deputy AG, Todd Blanche, is the betting favorite.
Blanche represented Trump during a trial in New York state, during which the former president was found guilty of felony falsification of business records.
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