Matt Gaetz Withdraws Candidacy for Attorney General

Matt Gaetz on Thursday took himself out of the running to be the next U.S. attorney general, a week after President-elect Donald Trump nominated the former Florida congressman to the position. Multiple allegations that Gaetz had sexual relations with minors had made his prospective confirmation in the Senate an uphill battle. 

In a post on X, Gaetz wrote that he had “excellent meetings” with several senators but added that “it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition.” 

Trump echoed that sentiment in his own statement on Truth Social, the social platform that he owns, saying that Gaetz “was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect.” 

Gaetz had been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which was examining allegations that he may have “engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct.” 

One woman testified to the committee that she had sex with Gaetz when she was 17, sources familiar with the testimony told CNN. Two women also alleged that Gaetz paid them for sexual favors. Gaetz has denied all the allegations. His resignation from the House last week stopped the investigation in its tracks, but heightened the scrutiny of his bid to become attorney general. 

Starting in 2020, the Justice Department also investigated Gaetz as part of a sex trafficking probe. The department concluded its investigation in February 2023 without bringing charges against him. Gaetz also denied the allegations in that case.