Photo: Getty Images
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz announced he's withdrawn from consideration to become President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general in a post shared on his X account Thursday (November 21) amid allegations of sexual misconduct .
"I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback - and the incredible support of so many. 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. I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history. I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I'm certain he will Save America.
Gaetz, 42, immediately resigned from Congress after being selected by Trump, which ended a House Ethics Committee investigation accusing him of engaging in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepting improper gifts, dispensing special privileges and favors to those whom he had a personal relationship, and seeking to obstruct government investigations into the allegations. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a staunch ally of President-elect Trump, said the Ethics Committee has jurisdiction only over sitting members following Gaetz's cabinet appointment and Congressional resignation.
“I’ve made very clear that it’s an important guardrail for our institution that we not use the House Ethics Committee to investigate and report on persons who are not members of this body,” Johnson told reporters Tuesday (November 19) via NBC News. “Matt Gaetz is not a member of the body anymore."
The ethics panel was reportedly set to vote on whether to release its "highly damaging" report on Gaetz last Friday (November 15). Trump referred to Gaetz, who has vehemently denied the allegations, as a "deeply gifted and tenacious attorney" who would "end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department" in his announcement on Wednesday.
On Monday (November 18), Joel Leppard, a Florida attorney representing two women who testified before the House Ethics, told ABC News that his adult clients were paid by Gaetz for sex, while one of the clients said she witnessed Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old at a house party.
"She testified [that] in July of 2017, at this house party, she was walking out to the pool area, and she looked to her right, and she saw Representative Gaetz having sex with her friend, who was 17," Leppard said.
Leppard called for the House Ethics Committee to release its report on Gaetz after he was announced as Trump's attorney general pick, claiming the Florida Republican paid both of his clients for sex via Venmo.
"That's correct," Leppard said when asked by ABC News' Juju Chang if his clients both testified that they were paid by Gaetz for sex. "The House was very clear about that and went through each. They essentially put the Venmo payments on the screen and asked about them. And my clients repeatedly testified, 'What was this payment for?' 'That was for sex."
Trump transition spokesman Alex Pfeiffer shared a statement in response to the allegations made by the women.
"Matt Gaetz will be the next Attorney General. He’s the right man for the job and will end the weaponization of our justice system. These are baseless allegations intended to derail the second Trump administration. The Biden Justice Department investigated Gaetz for years and cleared him of wrongdoing. The only people who went to prison over these allegations were those lying about Matt Gaetz," Alex Pfeiffer, Trump transition spokesman said via ABC News.