The intended American Justice Minister Matt Gaetz is withdrawing his candidacy to become Donald Trump's future Justice Minister after allegations of buying sex. This comes a day after the House of Representatives voted on releasing a report about Gaetz.
"While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my candidacy unfairly became a distraction for the important work with the Trump/Vance transition", Gaetz writes on the X platform.
The future President Donald Trump praises Gaetz for his decision to step aside to avoid becoming a "distraction" for Trump's administration.
"Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to seeing all the fantastic things he will do!", writes Donald Trump on his social network Truth Social.
Party with minors
The former congressman Matt Gaetz is accused of having paid for sexual services and drugs, according to a lawyer representing two young women who have been questioned by the House Ethics Committee.
The lawyer claims that the two women participated in several parties where Gaetz paid them for sex and where illegal drugs were present. On one occasion in Florida in 2017, one of the women saw the other, who was then 17 years old and underage, having sex with Gaetz.
Report voted down
On Wednesday, the House Ethics Committee met to discuss the problem with the former colleague Gaetz. They have been working on a report about Gaetz and his suspected buying of sex.
Republicans on the House Ethics Committee voted against releasing a report on the allegations against Gaetz.
Matt Gaetz himself and Donald Trump's staff have described the allegations against Gaetz as baseless and a way for political opponents to disrupt the Trump administration's transition. They also point out that the Justice Department has refrained from taking action earlier.
When Trump will appoint a new candidate as Justice Minister is still unclear.
