Trump nominates Florida’s Rep. Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general

President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he will nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general, a surprise pick that blindsided even some Republicans on Capitol Hill who raised doubts about his confirmation.

In a statement, Mr. Trump said he was nominating Mr. Gaetz because the Florida Republican is a “deeply gifted and tenacious attorney.”

“Matt will end weaponized government, protect our borders, dismantle criminal organizations and restore Americans’ badly shattered faith and confidence in the Justice Department…He is a champion for the constitution and the rule of law,” Mr. Trump said in a statement.

The president-elect said Mr. Gaetz will restore the Justice Department to its “true mission of fighting crime and upholding our democracy and constitution.”

In response, Mr. Gaetz posted on X, “It will be an honor to serve as President Trump’s attorney general!”

If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Gaetz would lead the Justice Department that carried out a sex-trafficking investigation into him.

Although Mr. Gaetz was not charged with a crime, he remains the subject of an ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation into whether he engaged in sexual misconduct, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges or engaged in illicit drug use.

The attorney general position requires Senate approval and with Republicans having a majority in January, he could sail through without Democrat’s support. However, even Republicans questioned whether he could get confirmed amid allegations that Mr. Gaetz sex trafficked minors.

“He’ll never get confirmed,” said Rep. Max Miller, Ohio Republican.

Sen. Kevin Cramer, North Dakota Republican, said “there’s a number of issues” with the nomination because of allegations that Mr. Gaetz sex trafficked minors.

“I mean, to be honest, I was thinking about the FBI background check, it’s pretty intense for attorney general,” he told reporters.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, who could head the Senate Judiciary Committee after the Republicans take over the upper chamber in January, told CNN that “he’d have to think about that,” when asked if he had any concerns.

Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, outgoing chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said Mr. Gaetz would be a “disaster” as attorney general.

“During his first administration, Donald Trump assaulted the Constitution, undermined the rule of law, and tried to use the Department of Justice to overturn the results of the 2020 election,” Mr. Durbin said in a statement. “He has made it clear that he now plans to use the Justice Department to seek revenge on his political enemies.”

After the two-year investigation, Justice Department prosecutors declined to charge Mr. Gaetz. But he is still faces the ethics probe. Mr. Gaetz has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and said in September that he would no longer voluntarily participate in the panel’s probe.

House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest, Mississippi Republican, said the probe would end if Mr. Gaetz resigns to become attorney general because the panel only has jurisdiction over a member while they are serving in Congress.

“If he were appointed then he would have to resign his position in the House so the ethics investigation at that point would cease, just like any other member we only have jurisdiction being the ethics committee as long as a person is a member of Congress,” he said.

Mr. Guest said he was surprised by the Gaetz pick, adding that he had not heard his name come up as a potential attorney general selection.

“Like with any other Cabinet level selection, there’ll be a confirmation process so if any of the senators have questions about his or any other Cabinet members’ ability to serve, those questions will be figured during the confirmation process,” he said.

Mr. Gaetz last year orchestrated the ouster of then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, California Republican, after he struck a deal with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown. He has also been a stalwart loyalist of Mr. Trump since he first came to Washington.

The role of attorney general is critical to Mr. Trump’s vision for a second term because the Justice Department is at the center of his campaign promises including reducing crime and dolling out billions of dollars for immigration enforcement, border security and policing.

Mr. Trump has long pledged to overhaul the Justice Department, including eliminating some of its 115,000 employees.

Mr. Gaetz has been a fierce critic of the Justice Department, accusing it of being weaponized under President Biden against conservatives, including Mr. Trump. He has called for abolishing the Justice Department and FBI unless significant changes are made.

“You can’t just have the same career people who have grown up in a system that has fallen victim to political capture,” he said of the Justice Department last summer. He also called for outsiders, including workers from state attorney general’s offices, to be brought into Washington.

Others under consideration for the position were Mike Davis, who heads the Article3Project, which advocates for conservative justices; Sen. Eric Schmitt, Missouri Republican, and Matt Whitaker, who served as interim attorney general during the first Trump administration.

In a statement on X, Mr. Davis said Mr. Gaetz will be a “bold and fearless” attorney general.

“The next attorney general must clean house and hold accountable those responsible for politicizing and weaponizing intelligence agencies and law enforcement,” he wrote. “Matt Gaetz has the backbone to get the job done.”

Unlike the other candidates for the position, it is unclear if Mr. Gaetz has ever prosecuted a case. After graduating from William & Mary Law School in 2007 and passing the bar in 2008, he worked at a private firm. He soon ran for the Florida House of Representatives in 2010.

In 2021, his Florida bar license was suspended because of unpaid fees but was reinstated after the $265 fee was paid.