Matt Gaetz is out as attorney general, unclear if he can return to the House next year
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Matt Gaetz is out as attorney general, unclear if he can return to the House next year

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Former Rep. Matt Gaetz the next step after giving up the nomination for attorney general is uncertain, with the possibility of returning to House unclear.

Gaetz resigned from his position representing Florida’s 1st District almost as soon as he was nominated for the job to run the Justice Department. On Thursday, he announced he was stepping down, feeling he was unnecessarily distracting from the Trump administration. With the reason for his resignation now disputed, speculation has swirled that he could return for the next Congress.

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One theory floating around when he resigned was that he was only resigning from this Congress and could resume his position at the start of the next one in January. The wording in his resignation letter, read by the Clerk of the House on Nov. 14, could leave the door open for a return.

“I am hereby resigning as the United States Representative for Florida’s 1st Congressional District, effective immediately,” it said. “And I do not intend to take the oath of office in the 119th Congress to pursue the position of Attorney General in the Trump administration.”

Gaetz said he did not intend to take the oath of office for the same office until the next Congress, but he may change his mind. According to ABC News, although the rules are not explicitly clear, Gaetz can declare his change of heart before the special election for his expected vacancy.

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He won his re-election bid earlier this month and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has not set a date for the special election to take place to determine who would replace Gaetz. The early timeline for setting a date and speeding up the process to replace Gaetz was one of the things that appeared to help weigh on Trump’s decision to reach out to the congressman, in addition to his loyalty to the president-elect.

The Republican from Florida has given only vague hints about what his future plans are. In a post on X, thanking Vice President JD Vance, he said he was ready to continue his efforts to “save” the United States, “just maybe from another post.”

In his post announcing his resignation for the attorney general nomination, he said, “I remain fully committed to seeing that Donald J. Trump is the most successful president in history.”

There were also rumors Thursday that DeSantis could choose Gaetz to replace Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) in the upper chamber after he left to join the Trump administration as the next secretary of state.

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Gaetz had the support by Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) to be promoted, even though his first preference was for RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump to occupy the seat.

The president-elect’s daughter-in-law has been rumored as a favorite replacement since Rubio was tapped to leave the chamber. And reports on Thursday night suggested DeSantis has no intention of selecting Gaetz to replace Rubio.

If Gaetz decides to return to the House, and there are no House or state rules preventing him from doing so, he would face a similar problem that appeared to derail his bid to be the next attorney general.

He resigned from his seat days before the House Ethics Committee was to release a report on a year-long investigation into him into allegations of illegal drug use and sexual abuse, including paying for sex with a minor. When he resigned, the Ethics Committee lost jurisdiction over him, and precedent dictated that no report should be published.

The committee voted on whether to release its report on a matter of public concern because Gaetz was being considered for a cabinet position, but members deadlocked and the report was not released.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Trump announced former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, his defense attorney during his first impeachment trial, as his next choice for attorney general. Gaetz congratulated her in a post on X.

He said Bondi “is a terrific choice by President Trump for attorney general. Pam and I worked closely together when she was Florida’s attorney general and I was the state House criminal justice chairman. She is a proven litigator, an inspirational leader and a champion for all Americans . She will bring the necessary reforms to the DOJ.”

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 22, 2024

Website https://carnevalestoricocivitonico.it

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