Matt Gaetz shocked Washington with his on Thursday announcement he was no longer considered as Donald Trump's attorney general as the recently resigned Florida congressman raised serious questions over allegations of sexual misconduct.
Gaetz said in a statement Thursday about X that his nomination had become an “unnecessarily protected scuffle in Washington.”
“I remain fully committed to making Donald J. Trump the most successful president in history,” he said wrote. “I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I am confident he will save America.”
The decision may remove one major question mark over Gaetz — whether he will be confirmed to the Senate — but it raises a host of other uncertainties. Namely, can he return to Congress, and will he?
When Gaetz resigned his seat last week, he specified that he would be resigning from his term in the current Congress, the 118th, while announcing that he did not plan to take a seat in January of the 119th, even though he had just won re-election. earlier this month.
If Gaetz decides he wants to return to Congress, House rules could prevent him from retaking his seat, and he may instead have to compete for that seat again in a special election in Florida, because the U.S. Constitution calls for special elections to fill vacancies in the House of Representatives.
Gaetz may have to face special elections to return to Congress (AFP via Getty Images)
One way or another, if Gaetz returns to Congress, a cloud of accusations will continue to hang over the Florida attorney.
The Republican left Congress two days before the release of an explosive House Ethics Committee report on him, in which a witness reportedly claimed Gaetz paid her for sex. Gaetz has denied the allegations at issue in the ethics committee investigation, as well as those related to a Justice Department sex trafficking investigation into Gaetz and his associates. The DOJ has not charged Gaetz with any crimes.
In the wake of the resignation, the ethics panel's jurisdiction has functionally ended, and members of the House of Representatives continue to debate whether to make their findings public.
If Gaetz returns to the House of Representatives, the ethics investigation would regain jurisdiction, potentially paving the way for the findings to be made public again.
Neither the Trump administration nor Gaetz have said publicly what future plans the Florida Republican has in store, although Gaetz could still serve as a non-Cabinet adviser in the Trump administration without going through the full Senate confirmation process.
“I greatly appreciate Matt Gaetz's recent efforts in obtaining approval to become Attorney General. He did a very good job, but at the same time did not want to be a distraction to the government, for which he has great respect,” Trump said in a statement today. “Matt has a bright future and I look forward to seeing all the great things he will do!”
