Who is Matt Gaetz? From sex-trafficking allegations to public spats, the AG nominee is no stranger to controversy

Trump loyalist’s appointment as attorney general could trigger huge shift in how Department of Justice investigates January 6 riot

Donald Trump has announced he’s going to nominate former Florida Republican congressman Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general.

In a statement, the president-elect praised Gaetz, 42, who has frequently defended Trump and criticized the various criminal and congressional probes against the Republican.

“On the House Judiciary Committee, which performs oversight of DOJ, Matt played a key role in defeating the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, and exposing alarming and systemic Government Corruption and Weaponization,” Trump wrote on Wednesday, calling Gaetz a “Champion for the Constitution and the Rule of Law.”

Gaetz has faced multiple allegations of wrongdoing of his own, including a federal sex trafficking probe that ended without charges against him and a House ethics inquiry.

Here’s what you need to know about Gaetz, who was once dubbed the “Trumpiest Congressman” in Washington:

Who is Matt Gaetz?

Gaetz, an attorney by trade, was elected to Congress in 2016 to represent Florida’s first district, after previously serving in the Florida House. Gaetz is the son of prominent Florida politician Don Gaetz.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Wednesday that Matt Gaetz had resigned from Congress after Trump made his attorney general announcement, in an effort to make sure Republicans are quickly able to fill his vacant seat if he’s confirmed to be part of the administration.

Matt Gaetz attended William & Mary Law School and is married to Ginger Gaetz, sister of technology entrepreneur Palmer Luckey, founder of the companies Oculus and Anduril, who has funded Republican political causes.

Also within the family is Nestor Galban, Gaetz’s ex-girlfriend’s brother, whom he has raised as a son.

Why was Matt Gaetz investigated?

Gaetz became part of a federal sex trafficking investigation targeting a former associate, Joel Greenberg. The pair were part of a group of Florida Republicans described in news reports as attending parties where participants used drugs and had sex with women who had been paid.

In 2021, Greenberg pleaded guilty to federal crimes including sex trafficking of a minor, identity theft, stalking, wire fraud, and conspiracy to bribe a public official, and received an 11-year sentence.

Gaetz has denied all wrongdoing.

In 2023, the Department of Justice declined to seek charges against the Florida congressman.

The federal government did not press charges against Gaetz in a sex trafficking investigation in Florida (Getty Images)

Gaetz was also the subject of a House ethics inquiry, featuring interviews with witnesses from the federal probe, who allege they attended the parties where Gaetz was allegedly present with women who were paid by Greenberg. A witness reportedly told investigators this summer Gaetz paid her for sex, which he denies.

The Republican has denied these claims and said the investigation is based on “lies intended solely to smear me.”

Gaetz’s resignation from Congress will end the House ethics investigation. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy claimed earlier this year Gaetz led a successful challenge to his leadership in an attempt to stop the ethics investigation.

Former Trump administration aide Cassidy Hutchinson claimed in a memoir Gaetz groped her on two occasions and tried to make a pass at her at Camp David.

Gaetz has denied the allegations but claimed the pair had once dated, which Hutchinson denies.

What did Matt Gaetz do in Congress?

Gaetz was one of the most bombastic voices in Congress, tearing into Biden administration officials and fellow Republicans with equal ferocity.

In 2019, Gaetz helped lead a group of Republicans in the highly unusual move of storming a closed-door hearing during one of Trump’s impeachments.

During committee hearings, Gaetz often slammed witnesses, including an April 2022 hearing in which he berated Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin over allegations the military has gone too “woke.”

Matt Gaetz helped push out Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker (Getty Images)

He’s also turned his fire on his own party and was one of the key voices that secured the eventual 2023 ouster of Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

In the House, Gaetz was a frequent critic of the probes into the Trump campaign’s ties with Russia, which the Florida rep refers to as the “Russia Hoax.”

What could Matt Gaetz do as attorney general?

Despite Trump’s claims Gaetz will usher in a new apolitical era at the DOJ, the MAGA loyalist has frequently criticized prosecutors investigating Donald Trump and suggested they face further scrutiny.

He’s called for Fani Wallis, a Georgia official prosecuting Donald Trump for his attempts to overturn the state’s 2020 election results, to resign and be investigated, after the revelation she had a relationship with a member of her legal team.

In Congress, Gaetz launched a bill to defund the investigation of Jack Smith, the special counsel prosecution of Donald Trump on charges he conspired to overthrow the election results. Trump has said he’ll fire Smith within “two seconds” of taking office.

Gaetz has also suggested he could go after Joe Biden’s son Hunter, who is currently awaiting sentencing on federal gun and tax charges.

The MAGA Republican has been a vocal critic of prosecutions against Trump, including by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (AP)

“We could send criminal referrals to the Department of Justice, we go take the White House back, and you never know...it may be an Attorney General Matt Gaetz down the road or someone of my liking who will be there to actually enforce the law and provide the accountability,” Gaetz said in a 2023 interview.

What does Matt Gaetz say about January 6 and the 2020 election results?

Gaetz has supported multiple baseless claims about the 2020 election and the January 6 Capitol riot.

The Florida Republican was among those who voted to challenge the certification of the election results, and has said he remains “proud” of the “legitimate arguments about election integrity” he and his colleagues made in early 2021, as Trump attempted to remain in power in spite of losing the presidential race.

Gaetz maintained even two years later that Trump won the 2020 election, despite such claims repeatedly being shot down in court.

Gaetz has also leaned into unfounded conspiracy theories about January 6 itself, including claims that there was no insurrection and that federal agents provoked the chaos that occurred at the Capitol.

The MAGA ally reportedly sought pre-emptive pardons from Donald Trump both for his post-2020 election actions and regarding the Florida sex trafficking case.

If Gaetz is appointed as attorney general, it could have a dramatic impact on the sprawling set of cases against January 6 rioters, the largest federal prosecution in U.S. history.

How are leaders reacting to Matt Gaetz being suggested?

Trump’s announcement has prompted a variety of responses in Congress, where the Senate will vote on Gaetz’s confirmation.

Senator Peter Welch, a Vermont Democrat, told The Independent the announcement sounded like a headline in a satire publication. “

“That was in The Onion,” Welch said.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis, meanwhile, told reporters on Capitol Hill: “I’m sure it’ll make for a popcorn-eating confirmation.”