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Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include Gaetz's resignation from Congress.
President-elect Donald Trump on Nov. 13 announced Republican U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz as his nominee for attorney general, as he moves quickly to form his Cabinet.
"Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans' badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department," Trump said in a statement about the nomination on X.
"It will be an honor to serve as President Trump's Attorney General!" Gaetz replied.
Gaetz then submitted his resignation from Congress, effective immediately, though his selection will need further confirmation by the Republican-controlled Senate. His resignation brings an end to a years-long bipartisan probe into Gaetz's alleged ethics violations.
According to Trump's advisers, the attorney general is regarded as the most critical member of the administration after Trump himself, essential for executing mass deportations, pardoning Jan. 6 rioters, and pursuing retribution against those who have prosecuted him over the past four years.
During his first term, Trump grew frustrated with what he viewed as an uncooperative Justice Department, including attorneys general Jeff Sessions, who allowed an investigation into potential 2016 campaign ties to Russia, and Bill Barr, who publicly contradicted Trump's false claims of fraud in the 2020 election.
A bipartisan committee on Capitol Hill has been investigating Gaetz over longstanding allegations of sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, and other potential ethical violations.
The House ethics committee, which is composed of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, reignited public attention on the scandal surrounding Gaetz, which had quieted after a previous criminal investigation into similar allegations was dropped.
In its statement, the committee noted that it had interviewed dozens of witnesses, issued 25 subpoenas, and reviewed thousands of pages of documents as part of the extensive investigation into Gaetz’s behavior, which originally began in April 2021.
Gaetz has also consistently opposed additional aid to Ukraine and has been vocal about redirecting such funds to domestic priorities, particularly border security.
Earlier this spring, Gaetz proposed an amendment to the Ukraine aid bill that would redirect any funds the U.S. might recover from Ukraine toward building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border—a longstanding objective of President-elect Donald Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.
Oleg Sukhov
