"He's a flamethrower" Uproar over Matt Gaetz in the US Department of Justice

Matt Gaetz's lack of experience in the justice sector and the investigations into a sexual offense against him are causing consternation in the Justice Department.

Many employees at the US Department of Justice are worried about President-elect Donald Trump's decision to appoint former deputy Matt Gaetz as Attorney General. They are not only worried about their own jobs, but also about the future of the department, against which the Republican Gaetz, a loyal supporter of Trump, has come under fire.

The choice of Gaetz has caused consternation in the Justice Department - given his lack of judicial experience and the fact that he was once under investigation for a sex offense. According to observers, the fact that Gaetz has been earmarked for the post shows that Trump places particular value on personal loyalty and wants to bring a troublemaker into the Justice Department, which has been investigating and prosecuting the ex-president for years.

Lawyers at the Justice Department interviewed by the AP news agency described a sense of bewilderment and even outrage at Gaetz's nomination. They had received numerous calls and messages from colleagues as soon as the appointment became known. Some ministry employees were even unsure whether Gaetz, who has a law degree, was even a lawyer. Some are already looking for a new job.

Gaetz has claimed that the Ministry of Justice is "corrupt and highly political". He also sharply criticized the fact that Trump and the people who carried out the riot in the US Capitol building in 2021 were under criminal investigation. The man from Florida has also proposed abolishing two agencies that would report to him as Attorney General - the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. If he were to become Attorney General, he would not have as much legal experience as his predecessors, including the current incumbent Merrick Garland. The latter was an appeals court judge, among other things.

USATrump's controversial choice for the Department of Justice: Matt Gaetz in focus

Trump says Gaetz is the right person to tackle what the president-elect calls "systemic corruption" within the department and to restore the trust of his countrymen in the department.

"I think he was picked to shake the whole thing up and throw a grenade into the Justice Department," said former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia John Fishwick Jr. who was nominated by former President Barack Obama. "He's a flamethrower and that's what Trump wants."

A member of the Justice Department's legal staff was less troubled by the impending change in leadership. This could be a welcome fresh start, given the justified "distrust from both the left and the right", they said.

It is still unclear whether Gaetz will get enough support from Republicans in the US Senate to be confirmed as Attorney General. Some Republican representatives have praised his nomination, but several have expressed reservations or refused to say publicly whether they will support Gaetz. Trump has threatened the possibility of skipping the traditional confirmation process and putting his nominees in office while the Senate is in recess.

Gaetz continues to be criticized over investigations into alleged sex trafficking, which were dropped without charges. Before he withdrew from the US House of Representatives on Wednesday, he had been under investigation by the Congressional Ethics Committee. The committee was investigating whether Gaetz was guilty of sexual misconduct and illegal drug use, as well as improper acceptance of gifts and attempted obstruction of government investigations against him. The Republican chairman of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, on Friday put a spoke in the wheel of senators demanding access to the findings of the ethics committee. Johnson said that he would campaign for the committee not to release the results of the investigation.

Gaetz has denied all the allegations against him. The lies were "used as a weapon" to destroy him, he wrote on the X platform on Friday.

Some Justice Department attorneys move to the private sector every time there is a change of government in the US. But employees believe it is possible that there will be a noticeable number of departures in the coming months.