Former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz on Thursday said he has withdrawn his name from consideration for attorney general in president-elect Donald Trump's cabinet following controversy over an ethics probe.
He has become the first nominee to quit the Trump administration before it was even formed.
“There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I'll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General,” he said in a post on X.
Mr Trump said on Truth Social that he greatly appreciates recent efforts by Mr Gaetz.
“He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect,” the Republican president-elect said.
Mr Trump later announced that his replacement nominee would be Pam Bondi, who was former attorney general of Florida and as a member of his defence legal team.
"For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponised against me and other Republicans – not any more," he said in a post on Truth Social.
"Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting crime, and Making America Safe Again."
The far-right political firebrand was also facing challenges in garnering widespread Republican support for confirmation in the Senate.
“I had excellent meetings with senators yesterday,” Mr Gaetz posted on X. “I appreciate their thoughtful feedback – and the incredible support of so many. While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance transition.”
Mr Gaetz resigned as a representative for Florida after his nomination was announced.
“Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do,” Mr Trump said in his post.
It is unclear what Mr Gaetz's next steps are since he is no longer an elected politician. The House of Representatives' ethics committee is scheduled to meet again early next month over a report on Mr Gaetz.
The panel said on Wednesday said it was at a stalemate over deciding whether to release the nearly completed report that reportedly includes information on allegations against Mr Gaetz of drug use, sexual activity with a minor and paying for sex. Mr Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing.
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The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
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- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
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Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
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