Matt Gaetz withdraws AG bid amid ongoing investigations
Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz, nominated by Donald Trump for the position of the new Attorney General of the United States, announced on Thursday that he is withdrawing his candidacy. An FBI and Congressional committee investigation was ongoing regarding payments for sex with a 17-year-old.
Gaetz announced this decision in a post on platform X, a day after he met with Republican senators to persuade them to approve his candidacy.
As recently as Wednesday, Gaetz and the President-elect assured that the congressman would become the head of the Department of Justice and Attorney General. Gaetz is one of the most controversial congressmen, having been the subject of an FBI investigation and a House Ethics Committee inquiry regarding allegations of payments for sex with a 17-year-old.
The 42-year-old politician from Florida resigned from his position in the House of Representatives just after Trump announced his nomination. Media outlets and politicians speculated that this decision was motivated by a desire to avoid the publication of the ethics committee's investigation report concerning him.
"Very damaging" document
Nevertheless, Democratic representatives on Wednesday filed a motion forcing a vote on the publication of the report. The document, based in part on the testimonies of women with whom Gaetz had sex, was said to be - according to leaks - "very damaging" to the politician, although the federal prosecutor's office decided not to press charges against him in this matter.
Known for his outspoken views, Gaetz is an important supporter of the MAGA movement. In 2023, his actions contributed to the exclusion of Kevin McCarthy, the Republican Speaker of the House. McCarthy claimed that this was retaliation for not agreeing to dismiss the House Ethics Committee investigation.
However, as noted by the media, the opposition to Gaetz among Republican senators was considerable—as many as 30 out of 53 were ready to vote against his candidacy. Concerns were raised about Gaetz's potential politicization of the attorney general's office, which could lead to its use as a tool of political struggle against Trump's opponents.
