Matt Gaetz, the previous Florida consultant and President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for lawyer basic, introduced Thursday that he’s withdrawing as Trump’s choose for the highest prosecutor.
Who’s in consideration now for the highest spot? Listed below are potential names floated to move the Division of Justice subsequent.
Missouri Lawyer Normal Andrew Bailey
Missouri Lawyer Normal Andrew Bailey was tapped by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson in 2022 to be the state’s high prosecutor after then-state Lawyer Normal Eric Schmitt was elected to the U.S. Senate.
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Bailey, an Military veteran, acquired his undergraduate and legislation levels from the College of Missouri. He then proceeded to work within the state lawyer basic’s workplace and in addition served as an assistant county prosecutor and a state authorities lawyer earlier than becoming a member of the workplace of Gov. Mike Parson.
Andrew Bailey, Missouri’s lawyer basic, is seen throughout a Home Homeland Safety Committee listening to in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg by way of Getty Pictures)
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Parson tapped Bailey in 2022 to be the state’s high prosecutor after then-state Lawyer Normal Eric Schmitt was elected to the U.S. Senate.
Since turning into lawyer basic, Bailey has launched dozens of lawsuits in opposition to the Biden administration and sought to defend the state on quite a few conservative points.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah
Republican Sen. Mike Lee from Utah can also be a reputation being floated for consideration. Lee is presently a high-ranking Republican within the chamber and would face a considerably simple path to Senate affirmation, not less than in comparison with a few of the extra controversial names which have surfaced beforehand.
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Lee had beforehand expressed that he wouldn’t be aiming for the position, telling the Deseret Information in an interview, “I’ve the job I need.”
Lee additionally informed the outlet on the time that he was trying “ahead to working within the subsequent Congress and with President Trump and his workforce to implement his agenda and the reform agenda that Republicans have supplied and campaigned on, and it’s going to be an thrilling time. We’ve obtained a number of work to do.”
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah., speaks throughout a information convention within the Capitol on Tuesday, July 20, 2021. (Invoice Clark/CQ-Roll Name, Inc by way of Getty Pictures)
Gaetz introduced his determination on X early Thursday afternoon. In his publish, he described his nomination as “a distraction.” Allegations of him purportedly paying underage girls for intercourse had surfaced amid his nomination.
Trump took to social media shortly after the information broke that Gaetz can be withdrawing his identify from consideration, writing on Reality Social, “I vastly respect the current efforts of Matt Gaetz in searching for approval to be Lawyer Normal. He was doing very properly however, on the similar time, didn’t wish to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has a lot respect. Matt has a beautiful future, and I stay up for watching the entire nice issues he’ll do!”
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Gaetz had been beneath a months-long investigation by the Home Ethics Committee till his resignation final Wednesday from the present congressional session.
Fox Information Digital reached out to the Trump transition workforce for remark.
Fox Information Digital’s Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
