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Matt Gaetz

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Matt Gaetz
Official portrait, 2020
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Florida's 1st district
In office
January 3, 2017 – November 13, 2024
Preceded byJeff Miller
Succeeded byTBD
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 4th district
In office
April 13, 2010 – November 8, 2016
Preceded byRay Sansom
Succeeded byMel Ponder
Personal details
Born
Matthew Louis Gaetz II

(1982-05-07) May 7, 1982 (age 42)
Hollywood, Florida, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)
Ginger Luckey
​
(m. 2021)​
ParentsDon Gaetz (father)
RelativesPalmer Luckey (brother-in-law)
EducationFlorida State University (BS)
College of William & Mary (JD)
Signature
WebsiteHouse website
Matt Gaetz's voice
Gaetz on the retirement of his House colleague, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Recorded July 11, 2018

Matthew Louis Gaetz II[1] (/ɡeɪts/; born May 7, 1982) is an American lawyer and politician. He was the U.S. representative for Florida's 1st congressional district from 2017 to 2024. He is a member of the Republican Party. He is known as a strict Trump supporter.[2]

He has been seen as a strong supporter of far-right politics as well as an ally of president-reelect Donald Trump.[3][4] In 2020, Gaetz was accused of sex trafficking and having sexual relationships with minors.[5]

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.[6][7]

In November 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced he would nominate Gaetz to serve as United States attorney general.[8] Gaetz resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives shortly after his nomination.[9] However after controversy regarding sexual abuse and sex trafficking accusations, Gaetz withdrew his nomination on November 21, 2024.[10]

Early life

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Matthew Louis Gaetz II was born on May 7, 1982, in Hollywood, Florida, to Victoria (née Quertermous) and Don Gaetz, a politician.[11][12][13] He was raised near Fort Walton Beach.[14][15] He graduated from Florida State University in 2003 and from the William & Mary Law School in 2007.[16][17] He became a lawyer in 2008.[18]

Gaetz worked at the law firm Keefe, Anchors & Gordon (now AnchorsGordon)[19] in Fort Walton Beach.[20] In October 2021, the Florida bar banned Gaetz from practicing law because of unpaid fees.[21] He was allowed to become a lawyer again after the $265 fee was paid.[22]

Florida House of Representatives

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In March 2010, Gaetz ran in the special election in the 4th district for the Florida Senate.[23] He won with 43 percent of the vote.[23] In the special general election, Gaetz beat Democratic nominee Jan Fernald with 66 percent of the vote.[24] He ran for re-election and won in 2010 (for a full term), then in 2012 and 2014.[25]

Gaetz supported the death penalty during his time in the state senate.[26] Gaetz was one of two members to vote against a Florida bill making revenge porn illegal in 2015.[27]

In 2015, Gaetz supported the presidential campaign of former Governor Jeb Bush.[28]

U.S. House of Representatives

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In 2013, Gaetz announced that, in 2016, he would run for the 1st district Florida State Senate seat held by his father, Don Gaetz.[29] In March 2016, Gaetz decided to run for the U.S. House instead.[30] In August 2016, Gaetz won the Republican primary with 35.7 percent.[31] In the November general election, Gaetz beat Democratic nominee Steven Specht with 69 percent of the vote.[32] He was re-elected in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024.

In January 2018, Gaetz invited alt-right Holocaust denier Charles C. Johnson to Donald Trump's State of the Union address.[33] Gaetz has gone to political rallies in 2018 and 2019 at which members of the Proud Boys were present.[34][35]

On January 10, 2021, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy argued with Gaetz on a phone call that he was unnecessarily "putting people in jeopardy" during the January 6 United States Capitol attack.[36] In June 2021, Gaetz was one of 21 House Republicans to vote against a resolution to give the Congressional Gold Medal to police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on January 6.[37]

Gaetz, a critic of Kevin McCarthy, voted against him for Speaker of the U.S. House, instead nominating former President Donald Trump.[38][39][40] He made it harder for McCarthy to become speaker, however changed his vote on January 7, 2023.[41] However, in October 2023, Gaetz successfully filed a resolution to remove McCarthy from his role as speaker.[42] In April 2024, McCarthy said that Gaetz wanted to remove him as speaker to protecting himself against allegations of having had sex with a 17 year old minor.[43][44][45]

Gaetz resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives on November 13, 2024 after he was nominated as United States Attorney General.[9]

Failed U.S. Attorney General nomination

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In November 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced he would nominate Gaetz to serve as United States attorney general during his second administration.[8] His nomination surprised many Republicans and some did not like it.[46] After his nomination, there was controversy about Gaetz paying minors for sex along with accusations of sex trafficking.[10] Gaetz withdrew his nomination on November 21, 2024.[10]

Personal life

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In December 2020, Gaetz announced his engagement to his girlfriend, Ginger Luckey.[47] They married in August 2021.[48] Gaetz is a Baptist.[49]

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In 2020, Gaetz was accused of sex trafficking and having sexual relationships with minors. After an investigation, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) decided not to charge him, although Gaetz remained under investigation of the House Ethics Committee up until his resignation.[5]

In March 2021, Gaetz was being investigated for having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl in 2019, and that investigators were examining whether he had violated federal sex trafficking laws by allegedly paying her to travel with him.[50][51] A few weeks later, Axios reported that Gaetz was "seriously considering not seeking re-election and possibly leaving Congress early for a job at Newsmax".[52]

Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson wrote in her memoir that Gaetz harassed her many times.[53] She wrote that during a trip to Camp David in 2020 he interrupted her meeting with Kevin McCarthy, repeatedly asking her to "escort" him to his room. Gaetz has said that this is not true.[54]

References

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  1. ↑ "Full Name: Matthew Louis Gaetz II". Voterrecords.com. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Trump's Best Buddy in Congress Wants Sessions to Fire Mueller". Politico. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  3. ↑ Zurcher, Anthony (April 5, 2021). "Matt Gaetz: Why this Trump ally is fighting for his political life". BBC News. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  4. ↑ Following are the sources detailing Gaetz's far-right politics:
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Amiri, Farnoush; Durkin Richer, Alanna (November 13, 2024). "Matt Gaetz once faced a sex trafficking investigation by the Justice Department he could now lead". Associated Press. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  6. ↑ Edmondson, Catie (October 2, 2023). "Gaetz Moves to Oust McCarthy, Threatening His Grip on the Speakership". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  7. ↑ Edmondson, Catie; Broadwater, Luke (October 3, 2023). "House to Decide McCarthy's Future as Speaker". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Reilly, Ryan J. (November 13, 2024). "Trump announces Matt Gaetz as his pick for attorney general". NBCNews.com. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Schnell, Mychael (November 13, 2024). "Gaetz resigns from Congress after AG nod". The Hill. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Tucker, Eric; Durkin Richer, Alanna (21 November 2024). "Gaetz withdraws as Trump's pick for attorney general, averting confirmation battle in the Senate". AP.
  11. ↑ "Full Name: Matthew Louis Gaetz II". VoterRecords.com. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Gaetz, Matthew L." Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  13. ↑ Seiger, Theresa (February 27, 2019). "Who is Matt Gaetz? Things to know about congressman accused of threatening Michael Cohen". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cox Media Group. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Biography". Congressman Matt Gaetz. U.S. House of Representatives. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  15. ↑ Menzel, Margie (November 9, 2012). "Five Questions for Don Gaetz". Sunshine State News. The News Service of Florida. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Matthew Gaetz". Martindale-Hubbell. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  17. ↑ "About". Congressman Matt Gaetz. December 3, 2012. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  18. ↑ "Member Profile – Matthew Louis Gaetz II". The Florida Bar. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  19. ↑ "About". Congressman Matt Gaetz. December 3, 2012. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  20. ↑ Mencimer, Stephanie (September–October 2019). "How Matt Gaetz used daddy's money to become Trump's favorite congressman". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  21. ↑ "Matt Gaetz labelled 'delinquent' for failing to pay Florida bar association fees". The Independent. October 25, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  22. ↑ Aabram, Virginia (October 22, 2021). "Matt Gaetz reinstated to Florida Bar after paying dues late". Washington Examiner. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 "March 23, 2010 Special Primary House 4". results.elections.myflorida.com. Florida Department of State Division of Elections. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  24. ↑ "April 13, 2010 Special General Congressional 19 & House 4". results.elections.myflorida.com. Florida Department of State Division of Elections. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  25. ↑ "Matt Gaetz". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2019. Incumbent Matt Gaetz was unopposed in the Republican primary and was unchallenged in the general election.
  26. ↑ Klas, Mary Ellen (April 25, 2013). "Florida House approves speeding up executions". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
  27. ↑ Garcia, Jason (July 24, 2015). "Act of revenge? How the 'revenge porn' bill ended up so flawed". Florida Trend. Archived from the original on April 1, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  28. ↑ Dixon, Matt (January 25, 2023). "Gaetz wasn't always against leadership. Just look at his time in Tallahassee". Politico. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  29. ↑ Henderson, Jeff (May 13, 2013). "Matt Gaetz Makes It Official, Will Shoot for Dad's Senate Seat in 2016". Sunshine State News. Archived from the original on May 3, 2014. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
  30. ↑ Clark, Kristen (March 21, 2016). "Matt Gaetz launches bid for Congress, handing fathers state Senate seat to George Gainer". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  31. ↑ "Florida House Races Results". Politico. Archived from the original on November 21, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Florida U.S. House 1st District Results: Matt Gaetz Wins". The New York Times. August 2017. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  33. ↑ "GOP lawmaker condemned for inviting Holocaust denier to State of the Union". The Guardian. February 1, 2018. Archived from the original on October 30, 2018. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
  34. ↑ Feuer, Alan; Schmidt, Michael (November 1, 2022). "Prosecutors Look at Florida Election Protest as a Model for Jan. 6". New York Times. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  35. ↑ Castor, Rebekah (October 23, 2020). "'Proud Boys' provide security at pro-America rally in Milton". WEAR-TV. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  36. ↑ Burns, Alexander; Martin, Jonathan (April 26, 2022). "McCarthy Feared G.O.P. Lawmakers Put 'People in Jeopardy' After Jan. 6". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  37. ↑ Grayer, Annie; Wilson, Kristin (June 16, 2021). "21 Republicans vote no on bill to award Congressional Gold Medal for January 6 police officers". CNN. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  38. ↑ In House Speaker Fight, Trump Struggles to Play Kingmaker, New York Times, Maggie Haberman and Michael C. Bender, January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  39. ↑ Gaetz says he's talked to Trump about making him House speaker, MSNBC, Steve Benin, December 8, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  40. ↑ Another day, similar result: Adjournment with no speaker, Roll Call, Aidan Quigley, Lindsey McPherson, Niels Lesniewski, Mark Satter, and Jessie Hellmann, January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  41. ↑ McCarthy wins speaker election, finally, Roll Call, Laurie MacPherson, Laura Weiss, and Caitlin Reilly, January 7, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  42. ↑ Edmondson, Catie; Broadwater, Luke (October 3, 2023). "House to Decide McCarthy's Future as Speaker". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  43. ↑ Pengelly, Martin (April 10, 2024). "McCarthy says Gaetz ousted him to stop ethics complaint over sex scandal". The Guardian. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  44. ↑ Irwin, Lauren (April 10, 2024). "McCarthy says he's not Speaker because 'one person' in Congress wanted to avoid ethics complaint". The Hill. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  45. ↑ Faguy, Ana (April 10, 2024). "Kevin McCarthy Suggests He Was Ousted Because Matt Gaetz Wanted Him To Stop Ethics Investigation". Forbes. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  46. ↑ Demirjian, Karoun (November 13, 2024). "Senate Republicans Alarmed by Gaetz Pick as Attorney General Nominee". The New York Times. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  47. ↑ Lahut, Jake (April 1, 2021). "Who is Rep. Matt Gaetz's fiancée? Meet Ginger Luckey, a 26-year-old Harvard business student and the congressman's 'travel buddy'". Business Insider. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  48. ↑ "Matt Gaetz, Republican in sex-trafficking investigation, marries in California". The Guardian. Associated Press. August 22, 2021. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  49. ↑ Religious affiliation of members of 118th Congress (PDF) (Report). Pew Research Center. January 3, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  50. ↑ Schmidt, Michael S.; Benner, Katie; Fandos, Nicholas (2021-03-30). "Matt Gaetz Is Said to Face Justice Dept. Inquiry Over Sex With an Underage Girl". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  51. ↑ Swan, Jonathan (March 30, 2021). "Matt Gaetz says he's under federal investigation for sexual misconduct". Axios. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  52. ↑ Treene, Alayna (30 March 2021). "Rep. Matt Gaetz eyes early retirement from Congress to take job at Newsmax". Axios. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  53. ↑ Hutchinson, Cassidy (2023). Enough. Simon & Schuster (published September 26, 2023). ISBN 9781668028285.
  54. ↑ Filkins, Dexter (February 19, 2024). "Matt Gaetz's Chaos Agenda". The New Yorker. Retrieved February 27, 2024.

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