Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) resigned from the House of Representatives on Wednesday just after President-elect Donald Trump nominated him for Attorney General, Fox News reports.
Said Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA): “I think out of deference to us, he issued his resignation letter effective immediately. That caught us by surprise a little bit. But I asked him what the reasoning was, and he said, well, you can’t have too many absences.”
However, Punchbowl News reports the resignation came two days before the House Ethics Committee was set to vote on releasing a “highly damaging” report outlining its investigation into the Republican.
Ethics loses its jurisdiction over Gaetz when he leaves Congress.
