President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to pick Matt Gaetz as Attorney General has cast a spotlight on the embattled Florida lawmaker’s legal and ethical troubles.
Gaetz, a fierce defender of Trump and critic of the Justice Department, now finds himself poised to lead the very agency that investigated him for allegedly sex trafficking a minor—an investigation that ended without charges but will loom large over his political future. A House committee had been pursuing a separate investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]The nomination has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum, with both Democrats and some Republicans questioning Gaetz’s fitness to oversee the nation’s top law enforcement agency. Gaetz resigned from Congress just days before the House Ethics Committee was expected to vote on whether to release its report on him. It’s not yet clear whether that report will become public, but the allegations probed by the Justice Department (DOJ) and his colleagues in the House are almost certain to be discussed when he faces confirmation hearings in the Senate next year. Gaetz has denied all wrongdoing in both investigations.
Here’s what to know about the investigations into Gaetz.
The DOJ investigation into Gaetz began during the first Trump Administration in late 2020 under Attorney General Bill Barr, and concerned allegations that Gaetz had engaged in a sex-trafficking scheme involving a 17-year-old girl.
The probe intensified following revelations about Gaetz’s ties to Joel Greenberg, a former Seminole County tax collector, who pleaded guilty to sex trafficking and other charges in 2021 and admitted to paying women for sex, including the minor in question, and introducing her to other men. Gaetz’s name surfaced during the investigation, with prosecutors examining whether he had paid for sex or had any involvement in the trafficking scheme.
Gaetz vehemently denies the allegations, calling them part of a politically motivated extortion attempt. His attorney insisted that no evidence connected him to the crimes, and in February 2023, the DOJ closed its investigation into him without filing charges. Prosecutors reportedly struggled with witness credibility, including Greenberg’s testimony.
The House Ethics Committee began investigating Gaetz in April 2021, following the reports of his alleged involvement in the sex-trafficking scheme and separate allegations of sexual misconduct, including sharing inappropriate photos and videos on the House floor. The committee initially deferred its investigation while the DOJ looked into the sex trafficking allegations. However, once the DOJ closed its investigation in February 2023 without bringing charges, the Ethics Committee resumed its work.
In the summer of 2023, the committee provided an update on its ongoing investigation, revealing that it was now looking into additional allegations against Gaetz, including accusations of illicit drug use, accepting improper gifts, and potentially obstructing government investigations into his conduct. The Ethics Committee also explored whether Gaetz had been involved in creating a hostile work environment for staff and whether his behavior violated House rules on sexual harassment and personal conduct.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican who has publicly quarreled with Gaetz, told CNN in October 2023 that Gaetz showed sexually explicit photos and videos of underage women he slept with to other lawmakers. “We had all seen the videos he was showing on the House floor…of the girls that he had slept with,” Mullin said. “He’d brag about how he would crush ED medicine and chase it with an energy drink so he could go all night.”
Gaetz has denied wrongdoing. He told CNN at the time that Mullin’s story is “a lie” and wrote on social media in June that “every investigation into me ends the same way: my exoneration.”
The committee’s investigation was expected to culminate in the release of a final report, which could have had serious implications for Gaetz’s future. However, once Gaetz resigned from his congressional seat on Nov. 15 ahead of the anticipated release of the report, the committee’s ability to continue its investigation was halted. Under House rules, once a member resigns, the Ethics Committee loses jurisdiction over their case, though it has the discretion to release its findings regardless.
The timing of Gaetz’s resignation has sparked a contentious debate within the Republican Party about what to do with the committee’s findings. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday urged the committee to withhold the report, citing concerns over setting a precedent for publicly releasing reports on former members. But others in the party have argued that the Ethics Committee’s findings—if released—could have important bearing on the Senate’s decision whether to confirm Gaetz as Attorney General. Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, has called for the report to be made available for review during Gaetz’s confirmation hearings, emphasizing that senators should not be expected to vote without knowing the full scope of the allegations against him.
Despite Trump’s backing, Gaetz faces significant hurdles in the Senate. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the chamber, meaning that Gaetz can afford no more than three defections. Key Republican senators have already expressed reservations about his candidacy, including Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Maine Sen. Susan Collins. Murkowski dismissed the Gaetz pick as “not a serious nomination,” while Collins said she was “shocked” at Trump’s decision.
Gaetz’s controversial past will likely dominate the confirmation hearings. His defenders argue that the allegations are politically motivated and that Gaetz has been unfairly targeted. But his opponents, both within the Senate and among ethics watchdogs, are expected to press for a full examination of the facts before any vote on his confirmation.
If confirmed, Gaetz would be tasked with overseeing the nation’s federal law enforcement agencies. Trump, who has repeatedly cast himself as a victim of politically motivated prosecutions, has promised to use the Justice Department to target those he sees as political adversaries. Gaetz would likely embrace his vision, pushing the department to more aggressively investigate those critical of the Trump agenda.
In a statement announcing Gaetz’s nomination, Trump emphasized that Gaetz would root out “systemic corruption” within the Justice Department and return it to its “true mission of fighting crime and upholding our democracy.” Gaetz himself has echoed Trump’s rhetoric, writing in a since-deleted post on social media hours before his nomination that there needs to be “a full-court press against this WEAPONIZED government.”
“If that means abolishing every one of the three letter agencies, from the FBI to the ATF [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives] I’m ready to get going!” he continued.
