GAETZ OUT
Matt Gaetz withdraws name for Trump’s AG hours after new info on ‘drug-fueled sex parties and payments to women for sex’
President-elect Trump applauded Gaetz's judgment, saying he has a 'wonderful future'
MATT Gaetz has removed his name from consideration as President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general nominee.
The move comes as Gaetz is at the center of a federal sex-trafficking investigation by the House Ethics Committee on Capitol Hill.
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Members of the House Ethics Committee have a bombshell chart compiled by the Justice Department and published by that allegedly details a web of payments Gaetz and his associates made to women involved in his drug-fueled sex parties from 2017 to 2020.
Hours after the new information emerged, , 42, said his confirmation had "become a distraction" to the incoming and administration and he bowed out of his bid for attorney general.
"I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback - and the incredible support of so many," the former representative wrote.
"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.
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"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."
Gaetz, who Trump nominated as his attorney general on November 13, added, "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."
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TRUMP SPEAKS OUT
President-elect Trump was quick to show Gaetz his support after he dropped out of consideration.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, "I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General.
Full list of Trump's cabinet picks so far from Elon Musk's DOGE title to controversial Matt Gaetz & ex-rival Marco Rubio
"He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect.
"Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!"
"Thank you President Trump!" Gaetz wrote on X moments after the president-elect released his statement.
GAETZ NOT REJOINING CONGRESS
Gaetz resigned his seat in the House of Representatives after being nominated as Trump's pick for attorney general.
On Friday, Gaetz said he will not be rejoining Congress next year.
"I'm still going to be in the fight, but it's going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress," he told Charlie Kirk in an interview.
"There are a number of fantastic Floridians who've steeped up to run for my seat, people who have inspired with their heroism, with their public service.
"And I'm actually excited to see Northwest Florida go to new heights and have great representation.
"I'm going to be fighting for President Trump. I'm going to be doing whatever he asks of me, as I always have.
"But I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress."
SENATOR GAETZ?
Questions have swirled on whether Governor will now nominate Gaetz as his state's next senior senator.
DeSantis must appoint a replacement for Senator , who was tapped as Trump's secretary of state, should the confirm him.
Under the US Constitution and Florida state law, the governor has the power to fill vacancies in the US Senate while voters decide who fills empty seats in the US House.
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On Monday, DeSantis said he was gathering names and conducting "preliminary vetting" after receiving "strong interest" from several potential picks.
"Florida deserves a Senator who will help President Trump deliver on his election mandate, be strong on immigration and border security, take on the entrenched bureaucracy and administrative state, reverse the nation's fiscal decline, be animated by conservative principles, and has a proven record of results," DeSantis said.
The list of names Republicans are pitching to DeSantis includes Trump's daughter-in-law and co-chair of the Republican National Committee Lara Trump, Florida’s Attorney General Ashley Moody, former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, and Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nunez.
SEX-TRAFFICKING PROBE
Gaetz has been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee since the spring of 2021 over allegations that he engaged in sexual misconduct, drug use, misuse of state identification records, and converted campaign funds for personal use, among other accusations.
However, the committee paused its investigation after learning the Justice Department was also probing Gaetz over allegations that he was involved in sex trafficking and had sex with a minor.
In February, the Justice Department decided not to bring charges against Gaetz following a years-long investigation, citing an inability to make a strong enough case in court.
Once the DOJ's probe ended, the House Ethics Committee resumed its own investigation.
The House panel interviewed more than a dozen witnesses and a lawyer for two women testifying before the committee.
Attorney Joel Leppard testified that Gaetz paid two of his clients in exchange for sex.
Matt Gaetz's full statement
"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. 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."
CLAIMS 'NOT CREDIBLE'
One of the women claims she witnessed Gaetz and another of his associates having sex with a 17-year-old girl.
But, the woman said she did not believe Gaetz thought the girl was under 18.
The DOJ payments chart obtained by the House Ethics Committee showed that one of Leppard's clients received over $4,000, and the other received $3,500 in payments from Gaetz via Venmo.
The women also received money from Gaetz on PayPal, the attorney testified.
Joel Greenberg, a former friend of Gaetz, cooperated with the Justice Department during its federal investigation, telling authorities about how he and Gaetz had sex with the 17-year-old female.
He told federal investigators he and Gaetz believed the woman was over 18.
Greenberg pleaded guilty to sex-trafficking charges in 2021 and was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
The woman, who was 17 at the time, testified to the House Ethics Committee that she had two sexual encounters with Gaetz at a part in 2017.
She also testified about a second sexual encounter with Gaetz and another woman, which was not previously reported, according to .
The other adult woman, who was allegedly involved in the sexual encounter, denied participation in the supposed act with Gaetz and the minor, the outlet reported.
Gaetz has denied all the accusations against him, including that he had sex with a minor.
He blasted the claims as "years-old allegations of a sexual / salacious nature from sources DOJ previously deemed not credible assembled by people with a political motive.
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"The Steele Dossier really was shameful," he added in a post on X.
Gaetz has not been formally charged with any crime related to the House Ethics Committee's investigation.
Donald Trump's Cabinet Picks
In the days following his dominant Election Day victory, President-elect Donald Trump has begun carving out his future administation.
Here's a list of Trump's confirmed cabinet picks:
- Susie Wiles - White House Chief of Staff
- Dr. Mehmet Oz - Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- Stephen Miller - Deputy Chief of Staff
- Bill McGinley - White House counsel
- Tom Homan, ex-ICE acting director - "Border Czar"
- Elise Stefanik, Republican New York representative - Ambassador to the United Nations
- Lee Zeldin, former New York representative - Environmental Protection Agency administrator
- Marco Rubio, Republican Florida senator - Secretary of State
- Kristi Noem, Republican South Dakota governor - Homeland Security Secretary
- Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor - Ambassador to Israel
- John Ratcliffe, former Texas representative - CIA director
- Pete Hegseth, US Army veteran - Secretary of Defense
- Mike Waltz, Republican Florida representative - National Security Advisor
- Steven Witkoff, real estate investor - Middle East envoy
- Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy - Department of Government Efficiency
- Tim Scott, Republican South Carolina senator - Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee
- Tulsi Gabbard, former Hawaii representative - Director of National Intelligence
- Matt Gaetz, Republican Florida representative - nominated for Attorney General, but later refused the position
- Pam Bondi, Florida Attorney - nominated for Attorney general just hours after Gaetz's withdrawal
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Jay Clayton , US Attorney for the Southern District of New York
- Doug Burgum, Republican North Dakota governor - Department of Interior
- Todd Blanche, lawyer - Deputy Attorney General
- Karoline Leavitt - White House Press Secretary
- Chris Wright, oil industry executive - Energy Secretary
- Doug Collins, served in Iraq 2008, former congressman of Georgia's 9th district from 2013-2021 - Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs
- William McGinley, partner at law firm Holtzman Vogel, former White House Cabinet secretary for Trump - White House Counsel
- Steven Cheung, rapid response director for Trump 2016 campaign - White House Communications Director
- William Owen Scharf , federal prosecutor - Assistant to the President and White House Staff Secretary
- Dean John Sauer, appellate attorney and former Solicitor General of Missouri, lead counsel in Supreme Court for Trump v United States - Solicitor General of the US
- Commissioner Brendan Carr, Former senior Republican on FCC and ex-FFC General Counsel - Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
- Linda McMahon: Education Secretary
- Matthew Whitaker, former acting AG, - NATO ambassador
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