Matt Gaetz's past controversies resurface as Trump's AG pick is debated

Washington, DC — US President-elect Donald Trump continues to reveal his choices for his second-term administration.

But his latest pick has startled everyone, even fellow Republicans.

On Wednesday, when Trump nominated Matt Gaetz for the role of attorney general, he essentially opened a Pandora's box.

Gaetz's nomination for the top law enforcement post stirred instant controversy, with some Republicans demanding the House Ethics Committee reveal its probe into claims of child sex trafficking against the fierce Trump loyalist and Florida representative who has been denying any wrongdoing ever since the allegations surfaced.

Ahead of Trump's announcement, Gaetz resigned from the House and will no longer be subject to the probe following his resignation.

Republican Senator John Cornyn, who holds a top spot on the committee that will consider Gaetz's nomination next year, said on Thursday he and other lawmakers should get access to the report by the House of Representatives Ethics Committee, which examined allegations of sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, and bribery.

"I don't want there to be any limitation at all on what the Senate could consider," Cornyn told reporters. When asked if that means he wants to see the ethics report, he replied: "Absolutely."

Cornyn is currently the No 2 Republican on the Judiciary Committee, which would handle Gaetz's confirmation.

The panel's top Democrat, Dick Durbin, also called for the House panel to release its report.

"The sequence and timing of Mr Gaetz’s resignation from the House raises serious questions about the contents of the House Ethics Committee report," Durbin said.

"We cannot allow this valuable information from a bipartisan investigation to be hidden from the American people."

Durbin added Gaetz "would be a disaster" in part because of Trump’s threat to use the Justice Department "to seek revenge on his political enemies."

'He is a person of moral turpitude'

Multiple Republican and Democratic figures have expressed scepticism at the nomination of Gaetz, who has never worked for the Justice Department or as a prosecutor at any level of government.

Republican Representative Mike Simpson of Idaho said he has a hard time believing Gaetz will be able to get through the Senate confirmation process.

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said she did not believe Gaetz was a serious candidate.

John Bolton, former UN ambassador and Trump's national security adviser called Gaetz's selection "as the worst nomination for a Cabinet secretary in American history."

"I think this is something that falls well outside the scope of deference that should be given to a president in nominating members of the senior team. Gaetz is not only totally incompetent for this job, he doesn’t have the character. He is a person of moral turpitude," Bolton said.

"Look, if Rep. Matt Gaetz wants to serve as the highest law enforcement officer in the land, we need to vet him — that's my job as Senator," Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin said. "And that includes seeing this House Ethics report on him."

Gaetz is widely disliked by his former colleagues in Congress, where he led an effort last year to force out Kevin McCarthy as speaker, which left the chamber without a leader for several chaotic weeks.

"Gaetz won't get confirmed. Everybody knows that," McCarthy told Bloomberg.

Rewarding the loyalty of a staunch ally who has defended Trump in his legal battles and impeachment fights, Trump on Wednesday called Gaetz a "deeply gifted and tenacious attorney" trained at the William & Mary College of Law.

"Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System. Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department," he said.

Attorney representing minor seeks report

The House' ethics panel said several months ago that its review included whether Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct.

According to the US media, the probe originated after Joel Micah Greenberg, a onetime friend of Gaetz and former tax commissioner in Florida, pleaded guilty in May 2021 to several crimes, including the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl.

If confirmed by the Republican-led Senate, Gaetz would instantly become one of the most closely watched members of Trump's Cabinet given his avowed loyalty to a president-elect who has threatened to pursue retribution against perceived adversaries.

Meanwhile, the House Ethics Committee has scheduled a vote for Friday on whether to release its report, US broadcaster CBS News reported.

CBS News, citing sources, said, "four women had informed the House Ethics Committee that they had been paid to go to parties that included sex and drugs, and that Gaetz had also attended. The committee has Gaetz's Venmo transactions that allegedly show payments for the women."

The attorney representing a minor who alleged that she was sex trafficked by Gaetz has also called for the public release of the House investigation into the attorney general-nominee.

"Mr Gaetz's likely nomination as Attorney General is a perverse development in a truly dark series of events. We would support the House Ethics Committee immediately releasing their report. She was a high school student and there were witnesses," John Clune said on Thursday.