President-elect Donald Trump selected Matt Gaetz to serve as his attorney general, tapping the combative Florida Republican to the key post as Trump potentially aims to rein in the independence of the Justice Department.
His nomination was met with skepticism and surprise from some lawmakers in the Senate, where his confirmation to the job is uncertain. Newly elected Senate Majority Leader John Thune deferred questions on his viability to the Judiciary Committee, which would have oversight over Gaetz's vetting and confirmation process.
If confirmed by the Senate, Gaetz, 42, would take the helm of a department that as recently as last year was investigating him for possible sex trafficking offenses. Ultimately, prosecutors declined to bring charges against him after a long-running probe.
Gaetz also was facing a House Committee on Ethics investigation into various allegations, including sexual misconduct, illicit drug use and obstruction. He has denied wrongdoing.
After he was put forward for attorney general, Gaetz tendered his resignation from the House of Representatives, "effective immediately," House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Wednesday night. The resignation closes any House probes since the chamber only has jurisdiction over current members.
In a statement on his Truth Social account earlier in the day, Trump called Gaetz a "deeply gifted and tenacious attorney" and said he "has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice."
"Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System," Trump added. "Matt will end Weaponized Government, protest our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans' badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department."
Trump campaigned on the idea of seeking vengeance against his perceived enemies, including those in the Justice Department. Gaetz has used similar rhetoric, which suggests that as attorney general he might be willing to wield the department's enormous power in a way that aligns with the vision Trump championed during the campaign.
Close Trump ally
For years, Gaetz has been a close ally of Trump on Capitol Hill. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, he was a fierce critic of the Russia investigation and the two ongoing special counsel probes into Trump's handling of classified information and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Gaetz also supported Trump during his New York criminal trial. Gaetz was one of several GOP politicians who traveled to New York to sit in on the historic proceedings and testimony.
In the House, Gaetz was the prime mover behind former Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy's ouster last year.
Gaetz's combative style has earned him enemies in Congress, and his reputation could prove an obstacle to his confirmation in the Senate. Some senators greeted his nomination with surprise.
"I was shocked at the nomination," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. "Obviously, the president has the right to nominate whomever he wishes, but this is why the senate's advise and consent process is so important. I'm sure there will be many, many questions raised at Mr. Gaetz's hearing, if in fact the nomination goes forward."
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a longtime member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he, too, was surprised.
"The confirmation hearing will be important. He'll have some tough questions to answer. I'm inclined to support presidential Cabinet picks. I've done it for both sides," he said. "I'll let you know how it goes."
House ethics investigation
McCarthy did not block a separate House Ethics Committee investigation tied to sex trafficking and drug allegations into Gaetz. Gaetz has denied those allegations and noted that the related FBI investigation that began in 2020 was closed without charges. If confirmed, Gaetz would also oversee the FBI.
Gaetz's resignation on Wednesday ends any House ethics investigation.
"We only have jurisdiction, meaning the Ethics Committee, as long as a person is a member of Congress," Rep. Michael Guest, the chair of the House Ethics Committee, told reporters earlier in the day.
Johnson, the House speaker, said Gaetz's resignation allows Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to immediately begin the process to fill his vacant seat, which he has eight weeks to do under Florida law.
"If we start the clock now, we may be able to fill that seat as early as January 3," Johnson told reporters on Wednesday. "So Matt would have done us a great service by making that decision, as he did on the fly. And so we're grateful for that."
Republicans are poised to retain their slim majority in the House in the next Congress but cannot afford to lose too many members even to vacancies. Trump has already tapped Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik for his ambassador to the United Nations and Rep. Mike Waltz of Florida to serve as his national security adviser.