Wikipedia (en)
Matthew Louis Gaetz II ( GAYTS; born May 7, 1982) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 1st congressional district from 2017, until his resignation in November 2024. His district included all of Escambia, Okaloosa, and Santa Rosa counties, and portions of Walton County. A member of the Republican Party, he is widely regarded as a staunch proponent of far-right politics as well as an ally of president-elect Donald Trump.
The son of prominent Florida politician Don Gaetz and grandson of North Dakota politician Jerry Gaetz, Gaetz was raised in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. After graduating from the William & Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia, he briefly worked in private practice before running for state representative. He served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2010 until 2016, and received national attention for defending Florida's "stand-your-ground law". In 2016, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and was re-elected in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024. Gaetz routinely conflicted with other Republicans and the party's leadership.
Gaetz's tenure as congressman led to widespread controversy, with The New York Times noting that he faced accusations of "illicit drug use, sharing inappropriate images and videos on the House floor, misusing state identification records, converting campaign funds for personal use, and accepting impermissible gifts." In 2020, Gaetz was accused of child sex trafficking and statutory rape. After an investigation, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) decided not to charge him, although Gaetz was under investigation for underage sexual abuse and illegal drug use by the House Ethics Committee up until his resignation; according to sources, a "highly critical report" was scheduled to be released in the imminent week, but will not be released as his resignation made the situation outside their jurisdiction. In October 2023, Gaetz filed a motion to vacate which led to the removal of Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
On November 13, 2024, president-elect Donald Trump announced he would nominate Gaetz to serve as United States attorney general. Gaetz resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives shortly after the announcement. His nomination led to surprise, alarm, and negative reception from Senate Republicans.
