The House erupted into applause when a clerk in the chamber announced former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) would officially be stepping down from his Florida seat and would no longer be a member of the 119th Congress.
The clerk, Kevin McCumber, said he had a letter from Gaetz stating he would not be serving in the incoming Congress. The Florida pol resigned in December after being nominated by President-elect Donald Trump as the next attorney general.
“The clerk is in receipt of a letter from the honorable Matt Gaetz of the state of Florida, indicating that he will not serve in the House in the 119th Congress,” McCumber said.
Murmurings and applause erupted from the House members of the 119th Congress, which met for the first time Friday.
“Without objection, the letters relating to his resignation will be printed in the record,” the clerk added.
Gaetz, 42, withdrew his nomination for attorney general just eight days after a private whip count showed he couldn’t be confirmed in the GOP-controlled Senate.
He was tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the nation’s top law enforcement agency in November.
Gaetz’s resignation from Congress came amid allegations of sexual misconduct, later revealed in a shocking House Ethics Committee report.
He’s currently hosting a show on OANN and was also making money on Cameo.
