By nominating Rep. Matt Gaetz as his attorney general, President-elect Donald Trump is seeking to appoint a staunch ally who has been perceived as divisive even within his own party.
Gaetz’s selection, not among the top contenders for the position, was revealed through a leak rather than a formal announcement from his transition team, as was customary for most of his other appointments.
House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed that Gaetz stepped down from Congress on Wednesday. This effectively ends the House Ethics Committee’s ongoing investigation into allegations against Gaetz involving child sex trafficking, and no report will be released.
Here’s a rundown of key information about Gaetz.
He’s had legal issues of his own
The House Ethics Committee had been investigating allegations that Gaetz participated in a scheme that resulted in the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl. This probe concluded with Gaetz’s resignation from the House on Wednesday.
In June, the committee provided an unusual public update on its review, which it stated also involved examining whether Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted inappropriate gifts, and attempted to obstruct government investigations into his actions.
The committee announced that it was no longer reviewing four other allegations against the congressman, including claims that he shared inappropriate images or videos with colleagues on the House floor or that he accepted a bribe or misused campaign funds for personal gain.
Gaetz has emphatically denied all the allegations, attributing them to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a long-standing adversary, although the investigation began before McCarthy and Republicans assumed the majority in the House.
In 2023, the Justice Department concluded a sex trafficking investigation without pressing any charges against Gaetz.
He’s been loyal to Trump and echoed his attacks on the ‘deep state’
Having recently secured his fifth term representing a significant portion of the Florida Panhandle, Gaetz, 42, has been a frequent defender of Trump on cable news channels.
He traveled to New York earlier this year when Trump faced trial in his hush money case. He shared a photo of himself and other congressional Republicans standing behind Trump. His caption mirrored the language Trump once used to address the extremist Proud Boys: “Standing back, and standing by, Mr. President.”
During Trump’s June debate with President Joe Biden, Gaetz was prominently present in the spin room, highlighting Trump’s accomplishments. After Biden withdrew from the race, Gaetz was among those who assisted Trump in preparing for his subsequent debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, in which the former President made false claims about Haitian migrants eating people’s pets and other animals—claims that Gaetz, among others, had disseminated online.
Just hours before Trump declared his nomination, Gaetz penned a that mirrored Trump’s frequent assertions of being unfairly targeted by the justice system.
“We ought to have a full court press against this WEAPONIZED government that has been turned against our people,” Gaetz stated. “And if that means ABOLISHING every one of the three letter agencies, from the FBI to the ATF, I’m ready to get going!”
If confirmed as attorney general, Gaetz would oversee both agencies.
He has roiled other Republicans
Gaetz has been a steadfast defender of Trump but has at times irritated fellow Republicans, including during last year’s leadership debate in the House chamber.
In early 2023, Gaetz was part of a group of hard-line conservatives who opposed McCarthy’s bid for House speaker, forcing McCarthy to endure 15 rounds of voting before securing the position. And it was Gaetz who orchestrated the vote that ultimately led to McCarthy’s removal.
McCarthy has accused Gaetz of orchestrating his removal to prevent the ethics complaint against him.
Gaetz’s House resignation triggers a special election for his House seat—Florida’s 1st Congressional district—which has been held by Republicans for nearly 30 years.
He’s an attorney
Gaetz earned a degree from the William & Mary Law School in 2007, going on to work for a firm in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
The Florida bar briefly suspended his license in 2021 due to unpaid fees, but the association’s website on Wednesday listed him as a member in good standing.
He may have a tough road to confirmation
Most Republicans evaded direct answers about whether they supported the incoming President’s choice. The GOP will have a 53-seat majority in the new Senate and would be able to rely on Vice President-elect JD Vance to break a 50-50 tie, allowing for a few defections.
Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he didn’t know Gaetz “other than his public persona, so we’ll handle it like any other nomination.”
“I’m not going to prejudge any of these,” Cornyn said, suggesting that the Senate scrutinize the House Ethics Committee investigation.
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, also a member of the Judiciary Committee, described Gaetz as “a smart, clever guy” but suggested that “he’ll have to answer some tough questions in the hearing, and we’ll see how he does.”
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, one of Trump’s few Republican critics in Congress, expressed shock upon hearing of Gaetz’s nomination, adding that, “I’m sure that there will be many, many questions raised at Mr. Gaetz’s hearing if in fact the nomination goes forward.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, another Trump critic, stated that, “as far as I am concerned,” Gaetz was not a serious contender.
North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, seemed to express doubt about the nomination, saying Gaetz will have “his work cut out for him” to secure enough votes for confirmation.
“I’m sure it will make for a popcorn-eating confirmation hearing,” Tillis said.
—Kinnard reported from Columbia, South Carolina. Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri, Stephen Groves and Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington, and Michelle L. Price in West Palm Beach, Florida, contributed.
