Trump to nominate Matt Gaetz for Attorney General

President-elect Donald Trump will nominate GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve on Attorney GeneralAccording to a social media post on his Truth Social account.

“Matt is an extremely talented and tenacious attorney, trained at the College of William & Mary, who has distinguished himself in Congress by focusing on achieving much-needed reform at the Justice Department,” Trump wrote on Wednesday.

Gaetz currently represents Florida's 1st District in the House of Representatives, an office he has held since 2017.

Mr. Trump said, “Met will end the gun-to-government government, secure our borders, dismantle criminal organizations, and restore Americans' badly broken trust in the Justice Department.”

Responding to Trump's announcement, Gaetz said“It will be an honor to serve as President Trump's Attorney General!”

If confirmed, Gaetz will lead the Justice Department – ​​a federal agency of more than 100,000 employees – and oversee many of its investigative components, including the FBI. Gaetz's appointment to the top Justice Department post would come at a unique time, given that Mr Trump has spent his 2024 presidential campaign under federal investigation or prosecution.

In the verification process, getz He will likely face questions about the ongoing review by the bipartisan House Ethics Committee, which said in a statement earlier this year that it was investigating allegations that Gaetz “engaged in sexual misconduct and illegal drug use.” He may have accepted improper gifts, granted special privileges and “favored persons with whom he had personal relations, and tried to obstruct government investigations of their conduct.”

Gaetz has denied all wrongdoing and has maintained his innocence throughout the Justice Department investigation — which closed last year — into allegations that he violated sex trafficking laws and obstructed justice. Federal prosecutors in Florida did not file any charges in the case and informed the Congressman that the case had been closed.

Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso, when asked by reporters about Gaetz, said, “The President will continue to make his appointments. We look forward to him coming to the Senate and having hearings and getting his Cabinet together.” “To be confirmed as soon as possible.”

Gaetz, who has served on the House Judiciary Committee and has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration, will take over as the first confirmed attorney general under the Trump presidency, succeeding Bill Barr. Barr resigned in 2020 as then-President Trump sought to retain power after losing the election. Barr left office at the end of that year and was replaced by Acting Attorney General, Jeff Rosen. Rosen and several of his subordinates later testified against Trump during a House Select Committee hearing that investigated January 6, 2021Attack on the Capitol. Former officials alleged that Trump had tried to pressure the Justice Department to investigate his claims of election fraud.

During the Biden administration, Attorney General Merrick Garland has sought to distance himself and the department from the White House after Trump's first term. Justice Department standards and regulations have been a frequent subject of Garland's public comments during his nearly four years of service under President Biden.

Garland, a former federal judge, appointed several special counsels to investigate high-profile figures including Mr Biden, his son Hunter and Mr Trump.

Gaetz's expected nomination comes as some supporters of the president-elect have called for changes within the Justice Department. Attorney Mark Paoletta, who was considered in the running to serve as Mr. Trump's attorney general, said, “Career DOJ lawyers must fully commit to implementing President Trump's policies or they will step down. Or should be fired.”

“If the President wants to deport illegal aliens, secure the border, ban race-based 'affirmative action' and DEI, investigate anti-Semitism, stop Big Tech censorship, Those seeking to pardon and punish the January 6 defendants have every right to expect that these perfectly legitimate policies are implemented,” Paoletta wrote“It is absolutely unacceptable for career workers to fail to deliver on this policy agenda.”

Contributed to this report.