www.nbcnews.com Open in urlscan Pro
2600:141b:1c00:2284::2506  Public Scan

Form analysis
2 forms found in the DOM

GET https://www.nbcnews.com/search

<form action="https://www.nbcnews.com/search" method="GET" class="search-form js-search-form"><label class="search-label" for="q" id="search_label">Search</label>
  <div class="search-inner"><input type="search" class="search-input js-search-input" aria-labelledby="search_label" id="q" name="q" placeholder="Search NBC News" tabindex="-1"><button class="search-button" tabindex="-1"><span
        class="search-button-icon"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="currentColor" aria-labelledby="search_title">
          <title class="search_title">Search</title>
          <path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M13.773 11.649L20 17.876 17.876 20l-6.227-6.227a7.508 7.508 0 112.124-2.124zm-6.265.364a4.505 4.505 0 100-9.01 4.505 4.505 0 000 9.01z"></path>
        </svg></span></button></div>
</form>

GET https://www.nbcnews.com/search

<form action="https://www.nbcnews.com/search" method="GET" class="search-form js-search-form"><label class="search-label" for="q" id="search_label">Search</label>
  <div class="search-inner"><input type="search" class="search-input js-search-input" aria-labelledby="search_label" id="q" name="q" placeholder="Search NBC News"><button class="search-button"><span class="search-button-icon"><svg
          xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="currentColor" aria-labelledby="search_title">
          <title class="search_title">Search</title>
          <path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M13.773 11.649L20 17.876 17.876 20l-6.227-6.227a7.508 7.508 0 112.124-2.124zm-6.265.364a4.505 4.505 0 100-9.01 4.505 4.505 0 000 9.01z"></path>
        </svg></span></button></div>
</form>

Text Content

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another
browser.
Skip to Content
NBC News Logo
Sponsored By

 * Politics
 * U.S. News
 * Local
   New YorkLos AngelesChicagoDallas-Fort WorthPhiladelphiaWashington,
   D.C.BostonBay AreaSouth FloridaSan DiegoConnecticut
 * World
 * Business
 * Sports
 * Health
 * Shopping
 * Tipline
 * Culture & Trends
 * Science

Watch live



Matt Gaetz withdraws his bid for attorney general amid sexual misconduct
allegations

 * Share & Save —
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
   Create your free profile or log in to save this article


My NewsManage ProfileEmail PreferencesSign Out
Search
Search

Profile

 My NewsSign Out
 Sign InCreate your free profile

Sections

 * U.S. News
 * Decision 2024
 * Politics
 * World
 * Business
 * Sports
 * Investigations
 * Culture & Trends
 * Health
 * Science
 * Tech & Media
 * Weather
 * Video Features
 * Photos
 * NBC Select
 * NBC Asian America
 * NBC BLK
 * NBC Latino
 * NBC OUT

Local

 * New York
 * Los Angeles
 * Chicago
 * Dallas-Fort Worth
 * Philadelphia
 * Washington, D.C.
 * Boston
 * Bay Area
 * South Florida
 * San Diego
 * Connecticut

tv

 * Today
 * Nightly News
 * MSNBC
 * Meet the Press
 * Dateline

Featured

 * NBC News Now
 * Nightly Films
 * Stay Tuned
 * Special Features
 * Newsletters
 * Podcasts
 * Listen Now

More From NBC

 * CNBC
 * NBC.COM
 * NBCU Academy
 * Peacock
 * NEXT STEPS FOR VETS
 * NBC News Site Map
 * Help

Follow NBC News

 * 
 * 
 * 

news Alerts

There are no new alerts at this time

Search
Search
 * Facebook
 * Twitter
 * Email
 * SMS
 * Print
 * Whatsapp
 * Reddit
 * Pocket
 * Flipboard
 * Pinterest
 * Linkedin


 * Latest Stories
 * Politics
 * U.S. News
 * World
 * Business
 * Sports
 * Health
 * Shopping
 * Tipline
 * Culture & Trends
 * Science




Justice Department


MATT GAETZ WITHDRAWS HIS BID FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL AMID SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
ALLEGATIONS

The House Ethics Committee, which was investigating Gaetz, was told a
17-year-old girl had two sexual encounters with Gaetz at a 2017 party, said a
source familiar with the discussions.
0 seconds of 2 minutes, 44 secondsVolume 0%

Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled
Play/PauseSPACE
Increase Volume↑
Decrease Volume↓
Seek Forward→
Seek Backward←
Captions On/Offc
Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf
Mute/Unmutem
Decrease Caption Size-
Increase Caption Size+ or =
Seek %0-9

Settings
OffCCEnglish
Font Color
White

Font Opacity
100%

Font Size
100%

Font Family
Arial

Character Edge
None

Background Color
Black

Background Opacity
50%

Window Color
Black

Window Opacity
0%

Reset
WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan
100%75%50%25%
200%175%150%125%100%75%50%
ArialCourierGeorgiaImpactLucida ConsoleTahomaTimes New RomanTrebuchet MSVerdana
NoneRaisedDepressedUniformDrop Shadow
WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan
100%75%50%25%0%
WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan
100%75%50%25%0%
Auto270p (284 kbps)1080p (4878 kbps)720p (3546 kbps)540p (1796 kbps)360p (967
kbps)270p (506 kbps)270p (284 kbps)
Live
00:06
02:38
02:44






 
Matt Gaetz withdraws from consideration as Trump's attorney general
02:45
Get more newsLiveon
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * Save
   Create your free profile or log in to save this article

Nov. 21, 2024, 7:34 AM HST / Updated Nov. 21, 2024, 5:05 PM HST
By Alexandra Marquez, Sarah Fitzpatrick, Jake Traylor, Olympia Sonnier and Peter
Nicholas

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., announced Thursday that he would withdraw his
name from consideration to be President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general.

Gaetz's path was mired by a series of allegations of sexual misconduct,
including sex with a minor at a 2017 party. On Thursday, NBC News learned from a
source familiar with the discussions that the House Ethics Committee, which had
been investigating Gaetz, was told that a 17-year-old girl had two sexual
encounters with the then-congressman at the party.





The description of the second encounter was included in her testimony to the
House Ethics Committee as well as a deposition in a related civil lawsuit. The
second sexual encounter included another adult woman, a source said. 

CNN was the first to report on the new allegations. Gaetz has repeatedly denied
allegations of sexual misconduct.

"It is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the
critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition," Gaetz wrote Thursday on X.

"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.
Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1," he added.



Trump praised Gaetz on Truth Social and said he had been doing "very well" in
the confirmation process.

"I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be
Attorney General. 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. Matt has
a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he
will do!" Trump wrote.

At the Justice Department, there was a general sense of relief after Gaetz
withdrew his name from consideration, with an official telling NBC News,
“Certain events, like the sun chasing away the dark of night, are not
surprising, they’re expected. But that doesn’t stop me from being grateful for
each sunrise.”

The office added, "I now know what is going to be the first feather on my
gratitude handprint turkey this Thanksgiving.”

Another Justice Department official called the move “such a relief” before
adding that it’s “hard to imagine [Trump] appointing someone worse. But we will
see.”

Hours after Gaetz's announcement, the president-elect named former Florida
attorney general Pam Bondi — a longtime Trump ally — as his new pick for
attorney general.



Two Trump transition sources with direct knowledge of Gaetz’s decision told NBC
News that Gaetz notified Trump about his decision Thursday morning. It was
Gaetz's decision to opt to withdraw. 

One of the sources acknowledged that Gaetz's confirmation was always going to be
an uphill battle and said Trump is expected to meet “very soon” with a new round
of attorney general contenders, with no particular person at the top of the
list. It’s unclear what that means for Todd Blanche, whom Trump had tapped to be
Gaetz’s deputy.

A third source close to Trump told NBC News that the transition team “welcomed”
Gaetz’s withdrawal, adding that “the [House Ethics] report started to leak out
and there was no way for Matt to make it.”

Gaetz, whom Trump named last week as his pick for attorney general, was also
investigated by the Justice Department — the department he would have led had he
been confirmed — related to allegations of sex trafficking and sex with a minor.
Gaetz has vehemently denied those allegations, and the investigation ended with
the Justice Department electing not to charge him.

0 seconds of 2 minutes, 10 secondsVolume 90%

Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled
Play/PauseSPACE
Increase Volume↑
Decrease Volume↓
Seek Forward→
Seek Backward←
Captions On/Offc
Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf
Mute/Unmutem
Decrease Caption Size-
Increase Caption Size+ or =
Seek %0-9

Settings
OffEnglish
Font Color
White

Font Opacity
100%

Font Size
100%

Font Family
Arial

Character Edge
None

Background Color
Black

Background Opacity
50%

Window Color
Black

Window Opacity
0%

Reset
WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan
100%75%50%25%
200%175%150%125%100%75%50%
ArialCourierGeorgiaImpactLucida ConsoleTahomaTimes New RomanTrebuchet MSVerdana
NoneRaisedDepressedUniformDrop Shadow
WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan
100%75%50%25%0%
WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan
100%75%50%25%0%
Live
00:00
02:10
02:10






 

Gaetz withdrawal follows 'deep concern' among DOJ employees
02:11

He resigned from the House last week, effectively ending the Ethics Committee
investigation. The committee had been looking into the allegations against him
on and off since 2021.

Earlier this week, a lawyer for two women who allege that Gaetz paid them for
sex detailed some of the testimony they gave to the Ethics Committee this year,
including one who said she witnessed Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old.



“My clients are relieved to have this chapter behind them and eager to move
forward with their lives," the lawyer, Joel Leppard, said Thursday after Gaetz's
announcement. "We’re hopeful this brings final closure for all parties
involved.” 

Committee members met Wednesday to discuss whether to release the report but did
not come to an agreement.

It’s unclear what the Ethics Committee will do now that Gaetz has withdrawn. Its
members are meeting again on Dec. 5, when they will further discuss the matter. 

At the Ethics Committee’s closed-door July 23 meeting, staffers told Chairman
Michael Guest, R-Miss., that a draft report on its investigation was far enough
along that it could be circulated to all committee members, according to meeting
transcripts obtained by NBC News.

Members and staffers had gathered that day to depose Gaetz himself, but he never
showed.

Guest told reporters that Gaetz’s withdrawal should “end the discussion” for
committee members about how they “move forward.”



"He is no longer a member of Congress, and so I think that this settles any
involvement that the ethics committee should have in any matters involving Mr.
Gaetz," Guest said.

Several House Democrats had called for the report to be released publicly. Some
Senate Republicans, who would have had to vote on Gaetz’s confirmation, publicly
expressed their interest in viewing the report as part of the confirmation
process.

Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance maintained their firm support of Gaetz,
with Trump even "heavily working the phones" to drum up support for Gaetz.

Vance had been on Capitol Hill on Thursday morning setting up meetings between
senators and another controversial pick, Pete Hegseth for defense secretary, but
he left the Capitol shortly before Gaetz made his announcement. Hegseth also
faces misconduct allegations, which he has denied.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who has opposed publicly releasing the ethics
report, also left the building before Gaetz’s news broke; he and the House won’t
return until after the Thanksgiving recess.

Senators from both sides of the aisle have expressed skepticism that he would
get enough votes to be confirmed.



At least five Senate Republicans — Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski
of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma and
Sen.-elect John Curtis of Utah — were "noes" on Gaetz and had communicated to
other senators and those close to Trump that they were unlikely to be swayed,
according to five people with direct knowledge.

One of the sources said at least 20, and as many as 30, Senate Republicans were
very uncomfortable about having to vote for Gaetz on the floor. Gaetz could
afford to lose only three Republicans in a floor vote if Vance cast a
tiebreaking vote.

After having met with Gaetz on Wednesday, Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and John
Cornyn, R-Texas, told NBC News that the subject of the allegations arose.

Ernst said Gaetz brought up the allegations himself during their conversation.

“He was very forthcoming, but that’s all I’m going to say, because he will go
through a very fair confirmation process with Senator Grassley, and I think a
lot of this will get flushed out then,” Ernst added. "I’m just reserving
judgment.” Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is the incoming chair of the Judiciary
Committee.

Following Gaetz's announcement Thursday, Collins told reporters that there were
a lot of “red flags” around Gaetz and that withdrawing was the “best decision he
could have made.”



“What I think it probably reflects is the meetings that he had yesterday with
senators as they started going through the Judiciary Committee members. I don’t
know that for a fact, but I think that he has put country first, and I’m pleased
with his decision,” she added.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who was publicly supportive of Gaetz’s being
nominated, wrote Thursday on X that “I respect former Representative Matt
Gaetz’s decision to withdraw his name from consideration and appreciate his
willingness to serve at the highest level of our government.”

Mullin told NBC News on Thursday that "I think it’s a good thing" that Gaetz
dropped out. "There was no way, no path forward for him," he said.

Gaetz said in his resignation that he wouldn’t take the oath in new Congress. “I
do not intend to take the oath of office for the same office in the 119th
Congress to pursue the position of Attorney General in the Trump
administration,” he said.

It’s unclear what his decision means for his congressional seat.


Alexandra Marquez

Alexandra Marquez is a politics reporter for NBC News.

Sarah Fitzpatrick

Sarah Fitzpatrick is a senior investigative producer and story editor for NBC
News. She previously worked for CBS News and "60 Minutes." 


Jake Traylor

Jake Traylor is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.


Olympia Sonnier

Olympia Sonnier is a field producer for NBC News. 


Peter Nicholas

Peter Nicholas is a senior White House reporter for NBC News.

Frank Thorp V, Julie Tsirkin, Kyle Stewart, Hallie Jackson, Scott Wong, Syedah
Asghar, Ryan J. Reilly and Ken Dilanian contributed.


 * About
 * Contact
 * Help
 * Careers
 * Ad Choices
 * Privacy Policy
 * Your Privacy Choices
 * CA Notice
 * Terms of Service (Updated JULY 7, 2023)
 * NBC News Sitemap
 * Closed Captioning
 * Advertise
 * Select Shopping
 * Select Personal Finance

© 2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC

NBC News LogoMSNBC LogoToday Logo




Residents of one of the states listed in the ‘Your Rights’ section of
NBCUniversal’s Privacy Policy we have received your Global Privacy Control
signal or you have opted out from the toggle below, but there is another step.
To opt out of us selling or sharing/processing data such as your name, email
address and other associated personal information for targeted advertising
activities as described above, please submit the form below. ALL OTHER
LOCATIONS: If we do not detect that you are in one of the states listed in the
‘Your Rights’ section of NBCUniversal’s Privacy Policy, these choices will not
apply even if you toggle this button off.


YOUR PRIVACY CHOICES: OPT-OUT OF SALE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION AND OPT-OUT OF
SHARING OR PROCESSING PERSONAL INFORMATION FOR TARGETED ADS

To provide you with a more relevant online experience, certain online ad
partners may combine personal information that we make available with data
across different businesses and otherwise assist us with related advertising
activities, as described in ourPrivacy Policy. This may be considered "selling"
or "sharing/processing” for targeted online advertising under applicable law.

If you are a resident of one of the states listed in the'Your Rights' section of
NBCUniversal’s Privacy Policy, to opt out of us selling or sharing/processing
your personal information:

 * such as cookies and devices identifiers for the targeted ads and related
   purposes for this site/app on this browser/device: switch the “Allow Sale of
   My Personal Info or Sharing/Processing for Targeted Ads” toggle under Manage
   Preferences to OFF (grey color) by moving it LEFT and clicking “Confirm My
   Choice”.
 * such as your name, email address and other associated personal information
   for targeted advertising activities as described above, please submit the
   form below.



Please note that choices related to cookies and device identifiers are specific
to the brand’s website or app on the browser or device where you are making the
election.


MANAGE PREFERENCES: TOGGLE OFF AND CLICK ‘CONFIRM MY CHOICE’ AND COMPLETE
OPT-OUT FORM TO OPT-OUT

ALLOW SALE OF MY PERSONAL INFO AND SHARING/PROCESSING FOR TARGETED ADS

Allow Sale of My Personal Info and Sharing/Processing for Targeted Ads

Resident of the states listed in the 'Your Rights' section of NBCUniversal’s
Privacy Policy Only: To opt out of selling or sharing/processing for targeted
advertising of information such as cookies and device identifiers processed for
targeted ads (as defined by law) and related purposes for this site/app on this
browser/device, switch this toggle to off (grey color) by moving it left and
clicking “Confirm My Choice” below. (This will close this dialogue box, so
please open the email Opt-Out Form 1st).

ALL OTHER LOCATIONS: If we do not detect that you are in one of the states
listed in the 'Your Rights' section of NBCUniversal’s Privacy Policy, this
choice will not apply even if you toggle this button off.

If you turn this off, you will still see ads, but they may be less relevant or
based only on our first-party information about you.

Please note, you must make the Manage Preference choices on each site/app on
each browser/device you use to access the services. You must also renew this
choice if you clear your cookies. You can change your precise geolocation
permissions for our mobile apps in your mobile device settings.

OPT-OUT FORM

Always Active

To opt out of the use of your email and other personal information related to
that email such as your name for targeted advertising activities please complete
this Opt-Out Form

OTHER CATEGORIES OF DATA COLLECTION

Always Active

Please see our Cookie Notice for more details which can be found by navigating
to the Privacy Policy in the menu settings page.

Back Button


COOKIE LIST



Search Icon
Filter Icon

Clear
checkbox label label
Apply Cancel
Consent Leg.Interest
checkbox label label
checkbox label label
checkbox label label

Confirm My Choice