Donald Trump has nominated Florida congressman Matt Gaetz to head up his Department of Justice.
The president-elect tapped the Republican representative from Chipley to serve as attorney general in his upcoming term in a post to Truth Social on Wednesday.
“Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System,” Trump wrote. “Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department.”
Trump called Gaetz a "champion for the Constitution" and said that he would "root out the systemic corruption at [the] DOJ."
Allegations of misconduct have hung over the legislator from the Florida Panhandle for years, thanks in part to his association with convicted sex trafficker Joel Greenberg. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing, and the Department of Justice declined to charge Gaetz with any crime following an investigation. The House Ethics Committee launched a probe into Gaetz's potential misconduct in 2021. That investigation is still ongoing, though Gaetz has stated publicly that he will no longer cooperate with the committee's inquiry.
Gaetz led the effort to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and McCarthy said that Gaetz was motivated by the ongoing probe.
“A member of Congress wanted me to stop an ethics complaint because he slept with a 17-year-old,” McCarthy said in April of the motivations behind the MAGA caucus revolt that led to Rep. Mike Johnson taking up the gavel.
In a post to X, Gaetz said that it would be "an honor to serve" as Trump's attorney general.
