Trump Responds When Asked If He’s Reconsidering Gaetz AG Nomination
President-elect Donald Trump has addressed questions regarding his decision to nominate former Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz as attorney general.
While observing SpaceX's sixth test flight of the Starship rocket in Boca Chica, Texas, Trump was approached about the controversial nomination.
“Mr. President, are you reconsidering the nomination of Matt Gaetz?” a reporter asked. Trump responded, “No,” and walked away without further comment, as reported by Fox News.
Gaetz's nomination has drawn sharp criticism due to a long-running investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use. Though the Justice Department ultimately declined to press charges, the controversy has lingered, raising concerns about his political future.
Just days after being tapped by Trump for the attorney general position, Gaetz stepped down from his congressional seat last week.
House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss, weighed in on the matter, stating, “Once the investigation is complete, then a report will be issued — assuming that, at that time, that Mr. Gaetz is still a member of Congress.”
He added, “If Mr. Gaetz were to resign because he is taking a position with the administration as the attorney general, then the Ethics Committee loses jurisdiction at that point. Once we lose jurisdiction, there would not be a report that would be issued. That’s not unique to this case.”
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Commenting on the Department of Justice’s decision, The Federalist editor Mollie Hemingway noted in a recent column that the investigation was dropped because the accusers were deemed unreliable. She questioned why the GOP-led House Ethics Committee has given any weight to these claims.
“Many Americans are sick and tired of elected officials and media pundits doing nothing as DOJ attempted to destroy the country with its abuse of the rule of law,” Hemingway wrote. “Among the many powerful figures in Washington, D.C. opposed to the Gaetz nomination are some who are attempting to thwart it by releasing a report from the House Ethics Committee that will attempt to tie Gaetz to salacious allegations involving child sex trafficking.”
She further explained, “The report comes years after DOJ dropped its investigation into the same claims on the grounds that the two central witnesses had serious credibility issues. Yet these are the same two central witnesses the House Ethics Committee has relied on for its critical report of Gaetz—the same report it is leaking to compliant reporters as part of a coordinated effort to thwart his nomination as President-elect Donald Trump’s next attorney general.”
The allegations primarily trace back to Joel Greenberg, described by journalist Marc Caputo as “one of the most corrupt Florida politicians of all time.” Greenberg, a former Seminole County tax collector, is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence for a range of offenses.
As part of his plea deal, Greenberg admitted to framing political rival Brian Beute with false accusations of having sexual relations with a minor—a tactic eerily similar to the allegations involving Gaetz, Hemingway pointed out.
Greenberg also reportedly attempted to frame his own lawyer by planting explicit images on his devices. A New York Times piece likened Greenberg's antics to those of “the Tiger King,” underscoring the outlandish nature of his behavior.
The Washington Post reported that Greenberg fabricated claims against a schoolteacher running against him for the tax collector role, accusing the teacher of an inappropriate relationship with a student—an allegation strikingly similar to what Gaetz faced.
U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell, a Bill Clinton appointee, condemned Greenberg’s actions as “downright evil.”
The DOJ determined that the accusations against Gaetz were unreliable due to the credibility issues of the accusers, opting not to pursue charges. Despite this, the House Ethics Committee has resurfaced these allegations from the same questionable sources, Hemingway argued.