On Thursday, with his embarrassing Venmo history under public scrutiny and a potentially damning report on his apparent activities with sex workers on the verge of being released, Matt Gaetz bowed out of the running for Trump’s attorney general.
“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz wrote on X. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General.”
I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback - and the incredible support of so many. While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance…
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 21, 2024
Gaetz, who was recently investigated for sex trafficking by the DOJ, has been plagued by a separate House Ethics Committee investigation into a wide range of gross behavior, including sex trafficking, abusing campaign funds, sharing inappropriate images on the House floor, and drug use. Several sources, including an attorney whose clients testified in front of the committee, say the report contained evidence that Gaetz had sex with a minor — including testimony from the former minor herself. Gaetz has denied all the allegations outlined in the report, characterizing his many Venmo payments to women who say he paid them for sex as “generosity to ex-girlfriends.” As of Thursday, the House Ethics Committee had yet to make a decision on whether to release its findings.
Now that Gaetz is out, Lord only knows what cable TV star Trump will float next for AG. If he’s still looking, I hear Kim Kardashian is hitting the law books again.
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