President-elect Donald Trump picks Rep. Matt Gaetz to be next attorney general

President-elect Donald Trump made a surprising announcement on Wednesday, selecting Rep. Matt Gaetz as his choice for attorney general.
Gaetz currently represents Florida’s 1st Congressional District, which covers the western Panhandle. He won reelection last week for what would have been his fifth term in Congress.
In Congress, Gaetz, who serves on the House Judiciary Committee, has been critical of the Department of Justice for bringing federal charges against the former president.
“Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System,” Trump said in a statement on Wednesday. “Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department.”
Gaetz’s appointment will likely have huge implications for the cases involving Trump. The former president was charged for his alleged involvement in the events of January 6, 2021, when his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an effort to subvert the 2020 presidential election results. Trump was also charged in a federal classified documents case, which was dismissed.
In his statement, Trump said Gaetz will be able to root out what he calls “systemic corruption at DOJ.”
A Florida native, Gaetz graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary sciences before receiving a law degree from William & Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia.
While in Congress, Gaetz has had a rocky relationship with Democrats and Republicans.
Gaetz is responsible for Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy losing his job. He’s the lawmaker who filed the resolution in 2023 that led to McCarthy’s ousting.
Gaetz has also faced serious allegations involving his personal life. In 2021,
with a 17-year-old girl and violating federal sex trafficking laws, but the Department of Justice said
last year after a multi-year investigation into the allegations. Gaetz has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, however, his actions are still being investigated by the bipartisan House Ethics Committee.
In addition to sexual misconduct, the committee is also reviewing accusations of illicit drug use, accepting improper gifts and seeking to obstruct government investigations of his conduct. In June,
reviewing allegations that he shared inappropriate images or videos with colleagues on the House floor or that he accepted a bribe or converted campaign funds to personal use.