Republican representative from Florida Matt Gaetz has submitted his resignation from US congress, effective immediately, launching an eight-week clock to fill his seat, Speaker Mike Johnson has said.
US president-elect Donald Trump told Mr Johnson on Wednesday that he would be tapping Mr Gaetz for his administration as attorney general, reducing Mr Johnson’s slim majority even further.
It also may bring a long-running ethics investigation into the Florida congressman to an end.
Mr Johnson framed the stunning move by Mr Gaetz to resign early and before confirmation as a way to help the majority fill his vacancy much quicker than if he were to wait until his Senate confirmation as attorney general.
But the decision and timing he chose to immediately step down raise concerns about the impending, years-long ethics probe into the Florida Republican, which was expected by many, including Mr Gaetz, to be wrapped up by the end of the year.
By stepping down, the bipartisan panel no longer has jurisdiction over Mr Gaetz, deeming the probe and the subsequent report effectively dead.
Representative Michael Guest, the Republican chair for the House Ethics Committee, told AP that Mr Gaetz’s nomination as attorney general does not change the panel’s ongoing probe into the congressman over alleged sex trafficking, sexual misconduct and drug use.
But if Mr Gaetz is confirmed for the cabinet position, the committee will no longer have jurisdiction to continue its probe or release its report.
“Once we lose jurisdiction, there would not be a report that would be issued,” Guest said. “That’s not unique to this case, we have that every new congress, where there are members who are under ethics investigation, who either choose not to run again, in some instances, or they resign or they lose reelection.”
He added: “We’re not going to rush this investigation because of the appointment. And so we’re going to again follow the rules and the procedures that we set in place.”
