President-elect Donald Trump made a surprising announcement on Wednesday, selecting Rep. Matt Gaetz as his choice for attorney general.
Gaetz currently represents Florida's 1st Congressional District, which covers the western Panhandle. He won reelection last week for what would have been his fifth term in Congress.
In Congress, Gaetz, who serves on the House Judiciary Committee, has been critical of the Department of Justice for bringing federal charges against the former president.
Gaetz submitted a letter of resignation to the House on Wednesday, Speaker Mike Johnson said.
RELATED STORY | Trump nominates Tulsi Gabbard to be Director of National Intelligence
"Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System," Trump said in a statement on Wednesday. "Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department."
Gaetz's appointment will likely have huge implications for the cases involving Trump. The former president was charged for his alleged involvement in the events of January 6, 2021, when his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an effort to subvert the 2020 presidential election results. Trump was also charged in a federal classified documents case, which was dismissed.
In his statement, Trump said Gaetz will be able to root out what he calls "systemic corruption at DOJ."
RELATED STORY | Trump nominates Army Major Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense
A Florida native, Gaetz graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary sciences before receiving a law degree from William & Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia.
While in Congress, Gaetz has had a rocky relationship with Democrats and Republicans.
Gaetz is responsible for Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy losing his job. He's the lawmaker who filed the resolution in 2023 that led to McCarthy's ousting.
Gaetz has also faced serious allegations involving his personal life. In 2021, Gaetz was accused of having sex with a 17-year-old girl and violating federal sex trafficking laws, but the Department of Justice said it would not bring charges against him last year after a multi-year investigation into the allegations. Gaetz has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, however, his actions are still being investigated by the bipartisan House Ethics Committee.
In addition to sexual misconduct, the committee is also reviewing accusations of illicit drug use, accepting improper gifts and seeking to obstruct government investigations of his conduct. The results of the probe were expected before the end of this year.
In June, the committee said it was no longerreviewing allegations that he shared inappropriate images or videos with colleagues on the House floor or that he accepted a bribe or converted campaign funds to personal use.
But Gaetz's resignation means the House Ethics Committee's investigation and report may never be finalized or published, because the body will no longer have jurisdiction over him as a representative.
"I think out of deference to us, he issued his resignation letter effective immediately of Congress," Johnson told reporters about Gaetz stepping down. "We may be able to fill that seat as early as January 3, when we take the new oath of office for the new Congress."
