Former Congressman Matt withdrew from President-elect Donald J. Trump's candidacy for attorney general ahead of the release of a House Ethics Committee report accusing him of “regularly” paying for sex and drug use. Gates has begun accusing him of “regularly'' paying for sex and drug use.'' Consider running for governor of Florida next year.
The race for the vacant seat, which will be Trump's home base, is expected to receive a lot of attention next year because Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was elected in 2018 and 2022, has a limited term.
“I have a compelling vision for the state,” far-right provocateur Gaetz told the Tampa Bay Times in a report released Tuesday.
Gaetz said in a phone interview with The New York Times on Wednesday that he had spoken to Trump about a possible run for governor, saying, “I know I have that ambition.” . He did not provide details of the conversation other than to say that the president-elect had shared advice with him and that he expected several other Trump allies to vie for the job. .
Requests for comment have also been left with Trump's aides.
Gates, 42, safely won the Republican Congressional District in Florida's general election district on November 5th, advancing to his fifth term. But he sought to accomplish that goal by resigning on Nov. 13, shortly after Trump selected Gates to be attorney general. He denies the charges surrounding the publication of an ethics committee report that concluded he had engaged in sexual misconduct and had taken illegal drugs.
He filed an 11th-hour lawsuit in federal court seeking to block the report's release, but his efforts failed.
The committee found that from at least 2017 to 2020, Gaetz “regularly paid women for sexual acts.” The report said Gaetz “conducted sexual acts with a 17-year-old girl” in 2017 and was paid for it.
The report said that between 2017 and 2019, Gaetz used or possessed illegal drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy, on “multiple occasions” and provided extravagant gifts, including transportation to and lodging in the Bahamas. It is said that he received it.
Asked Wednesday if he thought the ethics commission's report would hurt him in the gubernatorial race, Gaetz dismissed the idea.
“Those lies have surrounded me for years,” he said.
After Mr. Trump withdrew his nomination for attorney general, the first major setback for the president-elect during the transition period, Mr. Gaetz was hired to host a weekly prime-time show on the far-right One America News Network.
In remarks to the Tampa Bay Times, Gaetz suggested he could help stabilize Florida's insurance crisis. Hurricanes Helen and Milton have made matters worse, disrupting both the insurance industry and the people who rely on it.
“I understand how to solve the insurance problem. It's not about handing the keys of the state to the insurance industry,” he said. “If I run, I would be the most pro-consumer candidate on the Republican side.”
Gaetz's interest in the governor's office wavered a few days after members of the 119th Congress were sworn in at the U.S. Capitol. Mr. Gaetz was known for his straightforward political style, which sought to promote Mr. Trump's policies.
The gubernatorial race in Florida, once a battleground state that was trending toward the Republican Party, is one of the high-profile races on the 2026 election calendar.
