Matt Gaetz was beforehand concerned in a Justice Division intercourse trafficking investigation—the identical division he’s now set to guide—and confronted scrutiny from the Home Ethics Committee over allegations of sexual misconduct. Nevertheless, that investigation successfully concluded on Wednesday when Gaetz resigned from Congress.
Following the announcement of his nomination on Wednesday, Gaetz stepped down from his congressional publish, as confirmed by Home Speaker Mike Johnson. This prompts an eight-week interval of transition to fill his now-vacant Florida Home seat, as per state laws.
Who’s Matt Gaetz? Background and Controversies
Hailing from a well known political household in Fort Walton Seashore, Florida, Gaetz has made a reputation for himself as a “libertarian populist.” After ending his schooling at William & Mary Legislation College in 2007, Gaetz joined the Florida Bar and later served in Florida’s Home of Representatives from 2010 till 2016, when he then took a seat within the U.S. Home of Representatives, profitable re-election each two years.
Gaetz’s appointment would place him on the helm of the Division of Justice, which final 12 months selected to not pursue fees towards him associated to intercourse trafficking allegations. Investigations scrutinized his interactions with a 17-year-old to find out if he paid for intercourse or funded girls’s journey for such functions. Gaetz, now 42, has emphatically denied these claims, asserting that the DOJ’s investigation was a type of extortion towards him. He confronted additional scrutiny from the Home Ethics Committee over varied allegations however left Congress, halting any ongoing probe because the committee has no authority over non-members.
Within the context of the 2020 presidential race, Gaetz was one among 147 Republicans who tried to overturn President Trump’s defeat, peddling unfounded claims that Antifa was guilty for the Capitol riot. Alongside Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, he toured the nation advocating Trump’s unfounded election fraud arguments.
Matt Gaetz’s Controversies
Gaetz has confronted criticism for acts like inviting a Holocaust denier to the 2018 State of the Union and using a speech author who was dismissed for talking at a white nationalist-related occasion.
In 2022, Gaetz, an anti-abortion advocate, drew backlash for calling girls at pro-abortion rights rallies “ugly” and obese. “Why is it that the ladies least more likely to get pregnant are those most involved about abortions?” Gaetz mentioned. “Nobody needs to get you pregnant if you happen to appear to be a thumb.”
Later, in an interview, Gaetz confirmed he stood by his comment that girls attending abortion rallies are unattractive and obese. When requested for his response to those that discovered his phrases offensive, he replied, “Be offended.”
His battle with former Home Speaker Kevin McCarthy culminated in McCarthy’s elimination. Amidst their dispute, Gaetz indicated that if McCarthy allowed a stopgap funding invoice to forestall a authorities shutdown, he would file a movement to take away McCarthy from his place. McCarthy attributed his ousting to Gaetz’s want to terminate the ethics investigation towards him, a declare Gaetz refuted as falsehood.
Who’s Matt Gaetz Spouse Ginger Luckey Gaetz?
Ginger Luckey Gaetz is the sister of Palmer Luckey, a millionaire Republican donor and founding father of Oculus VR. She attended Harvard Enterprise College On-line and earned a bachelor’s diploma in economics and accounting from the College of California, Santa Barbara. Though she is married to the high-profile son of a rich Florida actual property household, Ginger Luckey is reportedly nonetheless primarily based in her dwelling state of California.
