Matt Gaetz resigns from Congress ‘effective immediately’ after Trump appoints him as AG, House Speaker reveals

Florida Republican Matt Gaetz has submitted his resignation from Congress “effective immediately,” House Speaker Mike Johnson revealed Wednesday.

The shocking announcement comes on the same day Gaetz was surprisingly selected by newly elected President Donald Trump to serve as attorney general in his incoming administration — and reportedly ahead of Friday’s vote on whether to release a House Ethics Committee report regarding allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use involving the now former congressman.

“I believe that, out of respect for us, he has issued his resignation letter with immediate effect. That surprised us a little bit,” Johnson (R-La.) said during a news conference.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives noted that he hopes to fill the now vacant seat in Florida’s 1st District by January 3.

Gaetz’s resignation ends the House Ethics Committee investigation launched in April 2021 following allegations that the congressman engaged in sexual misconduct and illegal drug use, accepted inappropriate gifts, granted special privileges and favors to individuals with with whom he had a personal relationship, and attempted to obstruct the government investigation into his conduct.

The ethics panel was reportedly set to vote on Friday on whether to release its “highly damaging” report on Gaetz. Punchbowl News.

With Gaetz stepping down, the panel no longer has authority to continue the investigation.

Gaetz has strongly denied all allegations.

His office did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

Johnson indicated during his remarks to reporters that he was unaware of the status of the ethics investigation and indicated that Gaetz’s abrupt resignation was strictly related to getting a Republican replacement into the House of Representatives as quickly as possible.

“I asked him what the reason was, and he said, ‘Well, you can’t be absent too often,’” the House Speaker said.

“Under Florida state law, there is approximately an eight-week period to select and fill the position. And by (resigning) today, I can – I’ve already called (Florida Governor Ron DeSantis) and said, ‘Let’s start the clock,’” he added.

“If we start the clock now, if you do the calculations, we may be able to fill that seat as soon as January 3, when we take the new oath of office for the new Congress,” Johnson explained.

“So Matt did us a great service by making that decision, as he did right away.”

“We are grateful for that.”

Trump’s announcement earlier in the day that he had selected Gaetz as his top Justice Department official surprised many and turned off some in Congress.

A Republican Party official told The Post that they do not expect Gaetz to be confirmed for the Cabinet post by the Republican Party-led Senate.

The Florida Republican led the charge to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in October 2023, putting him on unfavorable terms with many in Congress.

In his announcement Wednesday, Trump, 78, called Gaetz a “very gifted and tenacious attorney” who “distinguished himself in Congress for his focus on achieving much-needed reforms at the Department of Justice.”

“There are few issues in America more important than ending the partisan weaponization of our justice system,” Trump said of Gaetz.

“Matt will end the armed government, protect our borders, dismantle criminal organizations, and restore Americans’ deeply shattered faith and trust in the Justice Department,” the president-elect added.