Gaetz withdraws Attorney General bid amid investigation backlash

Gaetz announced this decision in a post on platform X, a day after meeting with Republican senators to persuade them to approve his nomination.

As recently as Wednesday, both Gaetz and the President-elect assured that the congressman would head the Department of Justice as the Attorney General. Gaetz is one of the most controversial congressmen and was the subject of an FBI investigation and an ethics committee probe in the House of Representatives concerning allegations of paying for sex with a 17-year-old.

The 42-year-old politician from Florida resigned from his seat in the House of Representatives shortly after Trump announced his nomination. Media and politicians speculated that this decision was driven by a desire to avoid the publication of the ethics committee's report on his case.

Nonetheless, Democratic representatives filed a motion on Wednesday to force a vote on the report's publication. The document, based in part on the testimony of women with whom Gaetz had sexual relations, was reportedly "highly harmful" to the politician. However, the federal prosecutor's office did not decide to press charges in this matter.

Known for his outspoken views, Gaetz is a significant supporter of the MAGA movement. In 2023, his actions contributed to the ousting of Kevin McCarthy, the Republican Speaker of the House. McCarthy claimed it was revenge for not agreeing to terminate the ethics committee's investigation in the House.

However, as noted by the media, opposition to Gaetz among Republican senators was significant—up to 30 out of 53 were ready to vote against his candidacy. Concerns were raised about Gaetz's potential politicization of the Department of Justice, which could lead to its use as a tool for political battles against Trump's opponents.