President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he has nominated Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz to be U.S. attorney general, appointing a far-right supporter to one of the most powerful posts in the U.S. government.
Late Wednesday night, Gaetz resigned from Congress, ending an ethics investigation by the House Ethics Committee into allegations including sexual misconduct.
Gaetz’s nomination is one of the most important yet. As attorney general, he will become the country’s top law enforcement officer and oversee the government’s legal positions on key issues such as abortion, civil rights law and First Amendment issues. The president-elect has promised to use the Justice Department to prosecute political opponents, and there is little doubt that Gaetz will help make good on that promise.
Gaetz, who was first elected to Congress in 2016 and represents the Ruby Red District of Florida’s Panhandle, has become known as one of the most high-profile members of Congress. He has reportedly asked President Trump for a pardon for trying to overturn the election and has advocated conspiracy theories about the attack on the US Capitol. Last year, he led an effort to oust Republican Kevin McCarthy as speaker, throwing the caucus into chaos.
Gaetz’s nomination comes more than a year after the Justice Department decided not to prosecute him as part of a sex trafficking investigation into allegations that he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl. Former friend and ally Joel Greenberg pleaded guilty to sex trafficking and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Mr. Gates denies the charges.
Gaetz “engaged in sexual misconduct and illegal drug use, accepted inappropriate gifts, provided special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship, and attempted to obstruct government investigations.” He vehemently denied any wrongdoing in the House Ethics Committee investigation into the allegations. about his actions. ”
Trump, on the other hand, praised Gaetz.
President Trump said, “Matt is a deeply talented and tenacious lawyer who was trained at William & Mary Law School and will stand out in Congress by focusing on delivering much-needed reforms at the Department of Justice.” ”, he said in a statement published in Truth. Social media accounts.
He added, “Few issues are more important than ending the partisan weaponization of the justice system in the United States. Matt will end weaponized government, secure our borders, dismantle criminal organizations, and seriously It will restore the American people’s shattered faith and trust in the Department of Justice.”
This nomination was immediately met with widespread criticism.
“This guy thinks he’s above the law because he’s been on the run from the law for so long. He’s going to be thoroughly corrupt,” said the former Homeland Security official during the Trump administration. said Olivia Troy, a staffer who became an outspoken critic of the former president.
“It’s hard to imagine a worse, less qualified candidate” than Gaetz, said Robert Wiseman, co-director of the watchdog group Public Citizen.
“As a member of Congress, Mr. Gaetz has shown contempt for the rule of law, truth, and decency. He is completely unfit to lead an agency that enforces civil rights and environmental protection laws. Under Gaetz, corporate criminals will be free But immigrants and people of color have every right to expect a United States where they are harassed and rounded up on minimal pretext,” he said in a statement.
Republicans are expected to take control of the U.S. Senate and vote on Gaetz’s confirmation in January. They appear to be aiming for at least 53 seats, enough votes to confirm the Florida senator even if a few Republican senators vote against him. Become.
Gaetz also has a history of making derogatory and offensive comments about women. “Why are the women who are least likely to get pregnant the most worried about abortion? If you look like a sore thumb, no one wants to get you pregnant,” he said in 2022. .
Before joining Congress, he was a Florida lawmaker who opposed revenge porn laws, reportedly telling the bill’s sponsors that ex-lovers could do whatever they wanted with images shared by their partners. There is.
“Isn’t it funny?” CNN political analyst and Trump ally Scott Jennings said in response to the news.
Andrew Gumbel contributed to the report
