Gaetz withdraws as Trump’s pick for attorney general, averting Senate confirmation fight

WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general after continued investigation into a federal investigation into sex trafficking that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s top federal law enforcement officer.

The abrupt withdrawal is a setback for Trump’s push to install staunch loyalists in his incoming administration, but also an acknowledgment of the opposition the Republican is already facing from members of his own party against selectmen with checkered backgrounds. By bowing out, Gaetz averts what was shaping up to be a close confirmation battle that would have tested how far Senate Republicans were willing to go to confirm Trump’s Cabinet picks.

The Florida Republican’s announcement came a day after meeting with senators in an effort to win their support for his confirmation to lead the Justice Department.

“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction from the critical work of the Trump/Vance transition,” Gaetz said in a statement announcing his decision. “There is no time to waste on an unnecessarily protracted Washington battle, and so I will withdraw my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.”

Trump said in a social media post: “I greatly appreciate Matt Gaetz’s recent efforts to seek approval to become Attorney General. He was doing very well, but at the same time did not want to be a distraction to the administration, which he has great respect for for. Matt has a wonderful future and I look forward to seeing all the great things he will do!”

Gaetz’s announcement came days after a lawyer for two women said his clients told House Ethics Committee investigators that Gaetz paid them for sex on multiple occasions beginning in 2017, when Gaetz was a Florida congressman.

One of the women testified that she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old at a party in Florida in 2017, according to attorney Joel Leppard. Leppard has said his client testified that she did not believe Gaetz knew the girl was a minor, stopped their relationship when he found out, and did not resume until after she turned 18. The age of criminal responsibility in Florida is 18 .

Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, and said last year that the Justice Department’s investigation into allegations of sex trafficking with underage girls had ended without federal charges against him.

Gaetz’s political future is currently uncertain.

He had abruptly resigned his congressional seat when he was selected to be attorney general. This move was seen as a way to shut down the ethics investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.

Republicans on the committee declined this week to release its findings over objections from Democrats in a split vote. But the committee agreed to finish its work and is scheduled to meet again on Dec. 5 to discuss the matter.

Gaetz won re-election in November to the new Congress, which meets on January 3, 2025. But it is unclear whether he would take office. There are plans for a special election in Florida for his seat.

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Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price, Lisa Mascaro and Adriana Gomez Licon contributed to this report.