Matt Gaetz, President-elect Trump’s nominee for attorney general who had faced a torrent of scrutiny, withdrew from consideration on Thursday, the New York Times reports.
“It is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz wrote on X. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle.”
Federal investigators established a web of payments among Gaetz and dozens of friends and associates who are said to have taken part with him in drug-fueled sex parties, according to a document obtained by the Times.
Among those who received money from Gaetz were two women who have testified that he hired them for sex, according to the document and the women's attorney. He said payments to the women totaled around $10,000.
The document was assembled by federal investigators during a sex-trafficking investigation of Gaetz. It shows how Gaetz and a friend sent thousands of dollars through Venmo to dozens of people who were involved in sex parties from 2017 to 2020.
Among those who received payment from Gaetz’s friend was a woman who was 17 when she attended one of the parties.
Gaetz, 42, represented Florida in Congress from 2017 until last week. He has denied any wrongdoing, and the federal investigation was closed without any charges against him.
Before Gaetz withdrew, Vice President-elect JD Vance accompanied him to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to build support for his nomination from Republican senators, some of whom expressed doubt that he is confirmable.
The document was obtained by the House Ethics Committee, which met on Wednesday amid pressure to release a report it has compiled on Gaetz but deadlocked on whether to do so.
Titled “VENMO TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN ALL INDIVIDUALS AS OF 09/14/20,” the document uses thumbnail photos of Gaetz, dozens of women and several other men to show how payments flowed between them. Lines with arrows connect the men and the women, showing how much Gaetz and his associates paid the women.
Steven Cheung, Trump's communications director, blamed the Justice Department for disclosure of the document, which he claimed was classified even though it has no classified markings and does not relate to national security.
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