Matt Gaetz Withdraws From Attorney General Nomination Amid Ethics Cloud
HuffPost
"It is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction," the former House member said.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is withdrawing his name from consideration to be the next U.S. attorney general amid allegations that he attended sex parties with minors.
He announced his decision on social media Thursday after holding meetings with some of the senators whose support he would have needed to be confirmed.
“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz wrote.
“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. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1,” the post read.
Gaetz spent just over one week as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Justice Department, despite having once been the subject of a Justice Department investigation involving alleged sex trafficking. Federal prosecutors declined to file charges against him last year.