Matt Gaetz Withdraws Bid to Become Attorney General

Matt Gaetz, the lightning-rod Florida Congressman nominated by President-elect Trump for Attorney General, has withdrawn his name from  consideration by the Senate. Melissa Quinn of CBS News reports that Gaetz issued this statement on social media this morning: “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.” Gaetz resigned his House seat last week following his nomination, but questions about his qualifications and and a yet unreleased report by the House Ethics Committee on alleged sexual misconduct and drug use put his confirmation at risk. Hopefully, the President-elect will take this opportunity to nominate a strong conservative with recognized legal scholarship and a better understanding of the workings of the Department of Justice. Senator Ted Cruz comes to mind.