Rep. Matt Gaetz resigned from the U.S. House this afternoon. I have confirmed this with multiple sources. This starts the clock on a special election for his replacement. According to House Speaker Mike Johnson, the seat may be filled as early as Jan. 3.
- President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Rep. Matt Gaetz to head the U.S. Justice Department as his Attorney General. Gaetz still must face Senate confirmation.
Axios reports: “I think, out of deference to us, he issued his resignation letter — effectively immediately — from Congress,” Johnson told reporters at a press conference.
- Johnson said Gaetz told him his resignation was to trigger the eight-week process that it takes to fill a U.S. House seat in Florida under state law. “I’ve already placed a call to Gov. DeSantis in Florida and said ‘let’s start the clock’ … and we may be able to fill that seat as early as Jan. 3.”
I will have more on who may run for Gaetz’s seat in the morning. Stay tuned.
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
