Matt Gaetz, the former Florida representative and Trump nominee for Attorney General, announced Thursday that he is withdrawing as Trump's pick for the top prosecutor, citing what he described as the "distraction" his nomination had caused due to a swirl of allegations about paying underage women for sex.
"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 said.
"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."
The news comes amid a swirl of allegations surrounding Gaetz, who for months had been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee until his resignation last Wednesday from the current congressional session.
The panel had subpoenaed him as recently as September for an ongoing investigation into alleged sexual misconduct with a minor. Gaetz in response told the panel he would "no longer voluntarily participate" in their probe.
Gaetz’s decision to step down eight days after his nomination now leaves open the role of attorney general—a position for which Trump had been considering a wide-ranging list of candidates, including former DOJ officials, members of Congress, and outside officials.
Those on the short list included Former White House attorney Mark Paoletta, who served during Trump’s first term as counsel to then-Vice President Mike Pence and to the Office of Management and Budget; Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who was tapped in 2022 to be the state’s top prosecutor after then-state Attorney General Eric Schmitt was elected to the U.S. Senate.
Since taking over the state AG’s office, Bailey has led dozens of lawsuits against the Biden administration and sought to defend the state on a number of conservative issues as well.
The one position all had in common was loyalty—for which Trump praised Gaetz for in his nomination.
In a Truth Social post announcing Gaetz's nomination, Trump said Gaetz "has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice."
Regardless of who Trump picks, "He's going to want someone who he knows, likes and trusts," former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker told Fox News about the role earlier this month. "He's going to want someone who was there from the beginning."
This is a breaking news story. Check back soon for updates.
