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Washington Amid ongoing accusations of sexual misconduct, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., withdrew his candidacy Thursday to serve as President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general.
Gaetz posted on X, previously Twitter, on Thursday, saying, “It is evident that my confirmation was unjustly becoming a distraction to the crucial work of the Trump/Vance Transition.”
“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.”
It became clear that not enough Republicans were prepared to back Gaetz’s contentious effort to become the nation’s top law enforcement officer, even though the GOP would control the U.S.
Senate 53-47 next year. More: When accusations of sexual misbehavior are disregarded: A new era in American politics
On October 31, 2024, then-Rep. Matt Gaetz goes to a rally in Henderson, Nevada, supporting Republican presidential contender and former President Donald Trump.
Gaetz said that the “momentum was strong” in favor of his candidacy and that he had “excellent meetings” with senators on Wednesday.
However, Gaetz’s drug usage and alleged intercourse with a juvenile clouded his candidacy to head the Justice Department.
Register to Cast Your Vote: Text the elections team at USA TODAY. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell responded to a question about Gaetz’s departure by saying, “I think that was appropriate.”
Gaetz’s nomination was the third-shortest in history, taking eight days from announcement to withdrawal. The only two that were shorter were Henry Dearborn,
Who was nominated for secretary of defense by President James Madison in 1815, and Linda Chavez, who was nominated for labor secretary by former President George W. Bush in 2001.
“All the way to the bottom” A number of Republican senators openly said that Gaetz’s path to confirmation would have been difficult. Concerns were voiced behind closed doors much more.
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., cited the Senate’s constitutional obligation to confirm presidential candidates when he stated, “The president has the right to make the nominations that he sees fit,
But the Senate also has a responsibility for advice and consent.” “In this particular case, I think there was advice offered rather than consent.”
More: According to documents, Matt Gaetz paid two women $10,000 via Venmo during the House investigation.
On Wednesday, Gaetz and JD Vance, the vice president-elect, paid senators a visit on Capitol Hill. Ty Cobb, a former White House attorney, said that it was clear he lacked sufficient backing.
“Gaetz kept talking about momentum,” he said. “Yeah, there was a lot of momentum, and the momentum was going straight to the bottom of the ocean.”
Putting Testimony at Risk The DOJ, which Gaetz would have headed if he had been elected attorney general, looked into claims that Gaetz paid for sex.
With a 17-year-old girl and for her to accompany him over state borders, committing statutory rape. No charges were brought against that investigation.
However, only two days after Gaetz unexpectedly left his House position last week, the House Ethics Committee, a nonpartisan group evenly.
Split between Democrats and Republicans, was also looking into those and other charges and was scheduled to vote on whether to produce a report on its findings.
Democrats on the panel had urged for the conclusions to be made public, but the House normally does not reveal findings on former members.
Two witnesses’ attorneys stated their clients provided testimony on the accusations to the Ethics Committee. One claimed.
To have seen Gaetz reportedly assaulting the 17-year-old sexually while under the influence of narcotics, although she did not believe Gaetz was aware of the girl’s age.
Gaetz refuted the accusations. More: After inquiry, the House Ethics Committee declines to disclose the much awaited Matt Gaetz report
Joel Leppard, the two women’s lawyer, said, “My clients are happy to have this chapter behind them and excited to move forward with their lives.”
“We’re hopeful this brings final closure for all parties involved.” In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed his gratitude for Gaetz’s attempts to appeal to Senate Republicans.
“He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect,” said Trump.
In a statement, Trump transition team spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told USA TODAY that Trump “remains committed to choosing a leader for the Department of Justice.
Who will strongly defend the Constitution and end the weaponization of our justice system.” More: Who is Ginger Luckey Gaetz, the wife of Matt Gaetz?
Who will be the attorney general next? Who Trump will choose to succeed Gaetz as his attorney general is unknown. Potential replacements include Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton,
Former intelligence officer Kash Patel, GOP Senator Mike Lee of Utah, and defense attorney Todd Blanche. Blanche has already been appointed deputy attorney general by Trump.
Democrats said that Gaetz was a risky choice to head the country’s top law enforcement agency, and Republican senators have been harassed about.
His nomination ever since Trump declared last week that he intended to select him. “I think this nomination was so colossally doomed and such catastrophically bad judgment,”
Said Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. “The issue now is, how many more will have to get out as well?
Don’t get me wrong, there will be others who will withdraw. Though not as strongly as Gaetz, other Trump Cabinet choices have also encountered criticism.
Pete Hegseth, the presenter of Fox News and Trump’s choice for Defense Secretary, has also been charged with sexual assault.
Gaetz was reelected, but it’s uncertain whether he will be able to return to the House when his second term starts in January.
Although Gaetz may run again in that election, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that he was already starting the process of calling a special election to replace Gaetz’s seat.