Matt Gaetz Withdraws from Attorney General Nomination After Resigning from Congress

Former Florida House Rep. Matt Gaetz has announced that he is withdrawing his name from consideration for the position of Attorney General, a nomination he received from President-elect Donald Trump just days earlier.

Gaetz made the announcement on social media, stating that his nomination was “unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition.”

This decision comes after Gaetz resigned from Congress following Trump’s announcement of his nomination. Gaetz had represented Florida's 1st Congressional District and had won reelection for what would have been his fifth term just before his resignation.

The nomination was met with significant controversy and pushback from both Democrats and Republicans, largely due to ongoing allegations against Gaetz. He has been investigated by the House Ethics Committee for allegations involving his personal life, including accusations of having sex with a 17-year-old girl and violating federal sex trafficking laws. Although the Department of Justice did not bring charges against him, these allegations have been a point of contention.

Gaetz expressed his continued support for Trump, stating he remains committed to seeing Trump become the most successful President in history and is honored by the nomination to lead the Department of Justice.