Matt Gaetz is out!

Trump’s preferred candidate will not become attorney general

Should have been Attorney General: Matt Gaetz

(Bild: AFP/Mandel NGAN)

Drugs, sex parties and sexual abuse of a minor: The list of allegations against Matt Gaetz is long. US President-elect Donald Trump still wanted to give him the Ministry of Justice. His preferred candidate has now taken himself out of the race.

Gaetz tweeted on Thursday: "I had excellent conversations with senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback - and the incredible support of so many." The argument about his person was a waste of time, he said. "Therefore, I will withdraw my candidacy for Attorney General."

Gaetz was seen as one of those candidates who would have a difficult time in the US Senate. The US chamber must approve Trump's nominations for ministerial posts. However, an investigation report by the House Ethics Committee was hovering over his preferred candidate.

In his statement, Gaetz thanked Trump, saying he would "save America". However, he did not address the allegations against him. Due to his resignation, the findings of the investigation report will probably remain under lock and key.

The list of allegations is long
The House of Representatives Ethics Committee had been investigating the ultra-right hardliner since 2021. These included allegations that he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl - which the politician denies. He was also accused of illegal drug use, using campaign funds for private purposes and other professional misconduct.

The Republican from the state of Florida was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and was able to defend his seat in the US election. However, shortly after his surprising nomination as Attorney General, the 42-year-old resigned from his seat as a member of parliament. As a result, the ethics committee's investigation against him was also closed.

Nevertheless, the pressure on his person increased. Senator Dick Durban, the highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, recently sent an open letter to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Christopher Wray, demanding access to files from investigations into Gaetz for allegations of "sex trafficking of minors". Now Trump's most controversial ministerial candidate has pulled the emergency brake himself.