WASHINGTON (AP) – Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general following an ongoing federal sex-trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s top law enforcement officer.
The emergency withdrawal backfires on Trump’s bid to include hard-line supporters in his incoming administration, but also recognizes the opposition Republicans are already facing from members of his own party to take a more deliberate approach. By bowing out, Gaetz avoided what was shaping up to be a confirmation battle that would have tested how far Senate Republicans were committed to confirming Trump’s Cabinet picks.
The Florida Republican’s announcement came a day after he met with senators in an effort to gain support for his confirmation to lead the Department of Justice.
“While the urgency was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was interfering with the important work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz said in a statement announcing his decision. “There is no time to waste on the long-term Washington debate, so I will withdraw my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.”
Mr. Trump, in a social media post, said: “I am very grateful for Matt Gaetz’s efforts to seek approval to become Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, he did not want to be a mistake for the Administration, which he has great respect for. Matt has a bright future, and I hope to see great things.” whatever he will do!”
Gaetz’s announcement came days after an attorney for the two women said his clients told House Ethics Committee investigators that Gaetz paid them for sex on multiple occasions starting in 2017, when Gaetz was a Florida representative.
One of the women testified that she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old boy at a party in Florida in 2017, according to the attorney, Joel Leppard. Leppard said that his client testified that he did not think Gaetz knew the girl was a minor, that he ended their relationship when he found out and did not resume it until she turned 18. The age of consent in Florida is 18.
Gaetz has denied wrongdoing, and said last year that a Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking cases involving underage girls ended without charges.
Gaetz’s political future is uncertain, for now.
He had just resigned his seat in Congress when he was elected attorney general. The move was seen as a way to block an ethical investigation into alleged sex crimes.
Republicans on the committee refused this week to release their findings, over objections from Democrats in a divisive vote. But the committee agreed to finish its work and is expected to meet again on December 5 to discuss the matter.
Gaetz won re-election in November to the new Congress, which takes place on January 3, 2025. But it is unclear whether he would take office. There is a special election planned in Florida for his seat.
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Corresponding reporters Michelle L. Price, Lisa Mascaro and Adriana Gomez Licon contributed to this report.