Trump Picks FL's Matt Gaetz As Attorney General

FLORIDA — U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, a staunch and long-time supporter of Donald Trump, was selected by the incoming president Tuesday as his pick for attorney general.

Gaetz, a Republican who represents much of the Florida Panhandle, was an outspoken ally for Trump throughout his first presidency and in the years that followed.

In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump called Gaetz a "deeply gifted and tenacious attorney" who could achieve "desperately needed reform" at the U.S. Department of Justice.

"Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department," Trump's statement read.

Gaetz won reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 5, defeating Democrat Gay Valimont. Gaetz is slated to serve his fifth term representing one of Florida's most conservative districts.

In a brief statement shared on social media following the announcement, Gaetz said, "It will be an honor to serve as President Trump’s Attorney General!"

During his time in office, Gaetz filed the resolution that successfully ousted former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year. McCarthy then helped fund a primary challenge to Gaetz that included commercials alleging that he paid for sex with a 17-year-old, an allegation currently under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.

Federal prosecutors first investigated whether Gaetz and onetime political ally Joel Greenberg paid underage girls and escorts or offered them gifts in exchange for sex. Prosecutors had also investigated whether Gaetz and his associates tried to secure government jobs for some of the women, the people said.

Greenberg, a fellow Republican who served as the tax collector in Florida's Seminole County, admitted as part of a plea deal with prosecutors that he paid women and an underage girl to have sex with him and other men. The men were not identified in court documents when he pleaded guilty.

Greenberg was sentenced in late 2022 to 11 years in federal prison for a variety of crimes.

The investigation was launched during the first Trump administration under former Attorney General William Barr. Gaetz had insisted throughout he was innocent of any wrongdoing.

In February 2023, the Department of Justice confirmed it would not pursue federal sex-trafficking charges against Gaetz.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.