Gaetz nomination draws pushback from Christian conservative, sexual exploitation groups
A Christian conservative legal group and a sexual exploitation watchdog are among many speaking out against President-elect Donald Trump's selection of Rep. Matt Gaetz, R- Fla., to serve as attorney general, citing allegations of sexual misconduct.
Trump announced his intention to nominate Gaetz, a staunch ally representing Florida's 1st Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, to serve as Attorney General on Wednesday.
The selection of Gaetz, known for orchestrating the ouster of then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California last year, has drawn blowback from many, including some conservatives and nonpartisan groups.
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The nonpartisan National Center on Sexual Exploitation released a statement Thursday calling on the U.S. Senate to reject Gaetz's nomination unless he is cleared of allegations of sex trafficking of a minor and prostitution.
"We urge the Senate not to confirm former Representative Matt Gaetz as U.S. Attorney General while there remain serious, credible allegations of engaging in sex trafficking of a minor and prostitution," said NCOSE CEO Dawn Hawkins. "As the nation's highest law enforcement officer, he would be responsible for enforcing our nation's laws prohibiting sex trafficking, child sexual abuse material, prostitution, and obscenity."
Insisting that "the victims and survivors we serve deserve no less," Hawkins maintained that "the people of this country deserve assurance that their leaders are committed to justice without exception."
She stressed that "Gaetz's resignation from Congress should not prevent the House Committee on Ethics from releasing its report, which is relevant to his potential qualifications to be the U.S. Attorney General."
"If the House will not release the report, we call on the Senate to conduct a full investigation before moving forward," she added. "His candidacy for this position cannot be fully vetted absent a full and transparent investigation."
Liberty Counsel, a Christian conservative legal group, expressed similar reservations about Trump's nomination of Gaetz.
"The nomination of Matt Gaetz as Attorney General is shocking and disappointing to those who have followed this man and the lurid scandals and serious allegations of sex parties and drugs during his tenure in the U.S. Congress," Liberty Counsel President Mat Staver said in a statement.
"The resignation of Gaetz immediately after his name surfaced for Attorney General is inexplicable except for the fact this resignation now ends the U.S. House Ethics probe," he asserted. "Obviously, Gaetz does not want America to know the result of the Ethics investigation. Matt Gaetz has neither the experience nor the moral character to serve as the highest law enforcement officer of the United States of America. Gaetz should do President Trump and all of America a favor and withdraw his name from consideration."
Liberty Counsel expressed concern about positions Gaetz has taken during his tenure as a state and federal legislator, specifically his work to remove Florida's prohibition on adoption by same-sex couples.
The group expressed disgust that Gaetz told "jokes" that it denounced as "laced with sexual innuendo" to an audience of conservative leaders that included conservative Christians.
While Gaetz resigned from the U.S. House this week in anticipation of becoming the next attorney general, the lawmaker's future heading the Department of Justice is contingent upon confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
Although Republicans are projected to have 53 Senate seats in the forthcoming 119th Congress, several members of Gaetz's own party have spoken out against his nomination, leaving his confirmation in doubt in light of the unanimous opposition expected from Senate Democrats. More than half of Senate Republicans told NBC News they don't believe Gaetz will be confirmed and want to know more about the allegations against him.
The House Ethics Committee elaborated on its investigation of Gaetz in a statement published in June, explaining that it "had initiated a review" in April 2021 "into allegations that Representative Matt Gaetz may have engaged in sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift" in violation of House rules.
The panel maintained that "Gaetz has categorically denied all the allegations before the Committee" and that "the Committee has spoken with more than a dozen witnesses, issued 25 subpoenas, and reviewed thousands of pages of documents in this matter."
While the committee determined that the allegations that Gaetz "engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct" merited investigation, it did not reach the same conclusion regarding the other allegations.
The New York Times reported in March 2021 that the DOJ was investigating if Gaetz had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl and if he transported her across state lines to engage in the activity in violation of federal sex trafficking laws.
In February 2023, the DOJ announced that they were not going to bring charges against Gaetz due to reportedly being unable to bring forth a strong enough case against the congressman.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
