Former representative Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general following continued scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer.
Here’s a timeline of how it unfolded:
- Nov. 13: Trump announces Gaetz as his pick to lead the Department of Justice. Hours later, Gaetz resigns from Congress.
- Nov. 14: Republicans react hesitantly to the prospect of Gaetz as attorney general. Trump names three lawyers who defended him in criminal cases — Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and D. John Sauer—to senior positions at the Justice Department.
- Nov. 15: House Speaker Mike Johnson says he’ll “strongly request” that the House Ethics Committee not release the results of its investigation into Gaetz, rebuffing senators who were demanding access. The bipartisan Ethics panel conducted a years-long probe into sexual misconduct and other allegations against Gaetz.
- Nov. 16: Career DOJ lawyers describe a widespread sense of being stunned and outraged by the nomination. In interviews with The Associated Press, they spoke of being flooded with calls and messages from colleagues as soon as the news broke.
- Nov. 17: Donald Trump Jr. says that any pushback from the Washington establishment around his father’s unconventional choices for Cabinet proves they are just the kind of disruptors that voters are demanding.
- Nov. 19: Republican senators are divided over how much information they’ll demand to move his confirmation — and how much to push back on Trump as he demands that they quickly rubber stamp his Cabinet once he takes office in January.
- Nov. 19: A lawyer says an unauthorized person gained access to a file containing confidential testimony from women who have made allegations about Gaetz.
- Nov. 20: House Ethics Committee Republicans vote against releasing the panel’s long-running investigation into Gaetz, but the panel is scheduled to meet again Dec. 5 to reconsider releasing its findings.
- Nov. 21: Gaetz withdraws.