close
close

first Drop

Com TW NOw News 2024

    • Has Matt Gaetz resigned from House? What you need to know after withdrawing from AG
    news

    Has Matt Gaetz resigned from House? What you need to know after withdrawing from AG

    Vaseline Posted on

    Matt Gaetz resigned from Congress on November 13, the same day presidential election Donald Trump nominated him as his attorney general.

    Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz on Thursday withdrew from his nomination to become President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general. The announcement has raised questions: what will Gaetz’s career look like in the future, what happens now?

    Gaetz announced his withdrawal from the role Thursday morning in an X-post: “While momentum has been strong, it is clear that my appointment unfairly became a distraction from the critical work of the Trump/Vance transition. There’s no time to lose. over a needless protracted scuffle in Washington, so I will withdraw my name from serving as attorney general.”

    Trump nominated Gaetz as his attorney general on November 13, a week after winning his re-election campaign and defeating Vice President Kamala Harris.

    Trump responded on his social media platform Truth Social, sharing his respect for Gaetz’s decision: “Matt has a bright future and I look forward to seeing all the great things he will do!”

    Dig deeper: Matt Gaetz withdraws his name as Trump’s nominee for attorney general

    Has Gaetz resigned from Congress?

    Yes, Gaetz submitted his resignation to Congress on the same day Trump nominated him as his attorney general.

    House Speaker Mike Johnson announced the news of Gaetz’s resignation during a press conference on November 13, adding that the measure would take effect immediately.

    Could Gaetz regain his seat in Congress?

    Yes, in theory, Gaetz could regain his seat in Congress, although his political future was uncertain as of Thursday.

    On November 5, Gaetz won re-election to the new 119th Congress, which begins on January 3, 2025. He resigned during the 118th Congress, which began in January 2023 and will end in January 2025.

    Gaetz reportedly wrote in his resignation letter that he “had no intention” of taking the oath of office in the new Congress.

    Under federal law, Gaetz could regain his seat in Congress if he was re-elected in a special election.

    According to the Congressional Research Service, a special election to fill a vacancy in the House of Representatives must be called by the governor of the applicable state. In this case, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis must call the special election. Scheduling procedures for these special elections vary from state to state, but Florida law does not provide a mandatory timeline.

    The day after Gaetz resigned from Congress, DeSantis announced on X that he had instructed Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd to prepare and announce a schedule for the upcoming special election. A date for this election had not yet been announced, namely Thursday afternoon.

    Gaetz’s wife, Ginger, posted a photo of the couple on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and said, “The end of an era.”

    Why did Gaetz withdraw his AG nomination?

    Gaetz did not give a specific reason for his withdrawal, but controversy over his bid increased in the past week amid allegations of sex trafficking of minors.

    The Justice Department, which Gaetz would have led if he were attorney general, investigated allegations that Gaetz committed statutory rape by paying for sex with a 17-year-old and that she traveled across state lines with him. The investigation was stopped without charges.

    But recently the House Ethics Committee, a bipartisan panel of Democrats and Republicans, began investigating the allegations. The committee planned to vote on whether to publish a report on its findings two days after Gaetz resigned his seat in Congress last week.

    Who will Trump nominate next for AG?

    It is unclear who Trump will nominate as attorney general to replace Gaetz. The president-elect has not yet made an announcement.

    Riley Beggin and CA Bridges contributed to this report.

    Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].

    Vaseline
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like