Abroad
Matt Gaetz, former subject of Justice Department investigation, nominated by Trump for Attorney-General
Gaetz resigned from Congress and would be free to lead the DOJ.
November 14, 2024, 12:56 PM
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Florida Representative Matt Gaetz as his pick for Attorney-General of the U.S.
Gaetz, a Republican known as a staunch Trump advocate and the subject of a sex-trafficking investigation by the Department of Justice, which ended with no charges against him, could now be confirmed by the Senate as the man to lead the department.
Ready to serve
The announcement was posted on Trump's social media site on Nov. 14, 2024, calling Gaetz a "deeply gifted and tenacious attorney" and saying he will end the "weaponisation" of the Justice Department.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2024
Gaetz himself wrote on X (formerly Twitter) before the announcement that if nominated, he was prepared to abolish agencies like the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives).
We ought to have a full court press against this WEAPONIZED government that has been turned against our people.
And if that means ABOLISHING every one of the three letter agencies, from the FBI to the ATF, I’m ready to get going! pic.twitter.com/Wsp8zVuBEU
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) November 13, 2024
Representative Gaetz
Gaetz, 42, has represented Florida's first congressional district in the House of Representatives since 2016, after deciding not to run for a state senate seat held by his father.
His time in the House coincided with the first Trump presidency, with Gaetz (as part of the House Judiciary Committee) criticising the Robert Mueller investigation into alleged collusion between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign.
After Trump was defeated by Joe Biden in 2020, Gaetz refused to accept the election result and voted to sustain the objections to the results of certain states, on the same day as a violent crowd of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building.
Investigations
The New York Times reported in 2021 that a DOJ investigation had been opened during the final months of the first Trump term, that looked into allegations that Gaetz had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paid for her to travel with him.
The House Ethics Committee also opened an investigation into Gaetz over allegations including sexual misconduct as part of a broader public corruption inquiry, AP News reported.
Gaetz denied the allegations and said he was the target of a smear campaign.
In 2023, the DOJ eventually decided not to bring charges against Gaetz, who maintained he was innocent of any wrongdoing.
With Gaetz having resigned from Congress after getting picked for the Attorney-General post, the House Ethics Committee investigation has effectively ceased.
Top image via AFP/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds
