Matt Gaetz is withdrawing as Trump’s pick for attorney general

WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz withdrew on Thursday President-elect Donald Trump choice for attorney general amid ongoing fallout over a federal investigation into sex trafficking that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer.

The announcement averts what would have been a confirmation fight that would have tested how far Senate Republicans were willing to go to back Trump’s Cabinet picks. It represents a setback in Trump’s efforts to install fierce loyalists in his administration and is the first indication of the resistance the new president could face within his own party to checkered choices.

“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation unfairly became a distraction from the critical work of the Trump/Vance transition,” said Gaetz, a Florida Republican who met with senators a day earlier in an effort to rally their support for confirmation to lead the Justice Department.

“There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted scuffle in Washington, so I will withdraw my name from serving as attorney general. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1,” he added.

Trump said in a social media post: “I greatly appreciate Matt Gaetz’s recent efforts in gaining approval to become Attorney General. He did very well, but at the same time he did not want to be a distraction for the government, for which he has great respect. Matt has a bright future and I look forward to seeing all the great things he will do!”

Gaetz’s selection just nine days ago to lead the department that once investigated him came at a time when Trump was thought to be considering other contenders with more extensive legal credentials. In the Senate, deeply skeptical senators repeatedly expressed concern about the sex trafficking allegations and demanded more information about a now-closed federal investigation. In the meantime, Justice Department lawyers were surprised by the choice of a partisan lawmaker who has repeatedly railed against their agency and echoed Trump in claiming it has been weaponized against political opponents.

In recent days, an attorney for two women said his clients told House Ethics Committee investigators that Gaetz paid them for sex multiple times, starting in 2017, when Gaetz was a Florida congressman.

One of the women testified that she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old at a party in Florida in 2017, according to attorney Joel Leppard. Leppard has said his client testified that she did not think Gaetz knew the girl was underage, ended their relationship when he found out and only resumed it after she turned 18. The age of consent in Florida is 18.

“They are grateful for the opportunity to move on with their lives,” Leppard said Thursday. “They hope this will provide final closure for all parties involved.”

Gaetz has vehemently denied all allegations. and said last year that the Justice Department’s investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls had ended without federal charges being filed against him.

Gaetz’s political future is currently uncertain.

He had abruptly resigned his seat in Congress after being selected as attorney general. The move was seen as a way to halt the ethics investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.

Republicans on the committee declined to release their findings this week after objections from Democrats in a split vote. But the committee agreed to complete its work and will meet again on December 5 to discuss the issue.

As news of Gaetz’s decision spread across the Capitol, Republican senators appeared divided.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, who served in the House of Representatives with Gaetz, said it was a “positive move.” Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker said it was a “positive development.” Senator Susan Collins of Maine said Gaetz “put the country first and I am pleased with his decision.”

Others said they had hoped Gaetz could have overhauled the department.

Senator Rick Scott of Florida, a close Trump ally, said he was “disappointed. I love Matt and I think he would have changed the way DOJ is run.”

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said he hopes Trump will choose someone “just as tenacious and just as committed to rooting out and eliminating bias and politicization at the DOJ.”

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., suggested Trump name Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, a former prosecutor and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Trump needs someone he has confidence in, Rounds said, but also someone the Senate “recognises, knows and also has confidence in.”

Rounds added that “the president has the right to make whatever nominations he deems necessary. But the Senate also has a responsibility for advice and consent. And in this particular case I think there was advice given rather than consent.”

Gaetz was re-elected in November to the new Congress, which will convene on January 3, 2025. But it is unclear whether he will come to power. There are plans for a special election in Florida for his seat.

Gaetz has said he had “no intention” of taking the oath of office in the new Congress.

In his Nov. 13 resignation letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Gaetz said: “I hereby resign, effective immediately, as United States Representatives for the First Congressional District of Florida, and I I have no intention of taking the oath of office. for the same office in the 119th Congress, to pursue the position of Attorney General in the Trump Administration.”

He sent a similar letter to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the state launched a special election process to fill the vacancy.

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Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price, Lisa Mascaro, Mary Clare Jalonick and Adriana Gomez Licon contributed to this report.