On Thursday, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. attorney general Matt Gaetz announced he would be withdrawing his name from consideration. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” the former Republican congressman from Florida wrote on X.
His nomination had been controversial for many reasons, but perhaps most startingly because it followed multiple legal investigations into alleged sex crimes. Gaetz’s withdrawal was reportedly announced shortly after CNN informed him it planned to make public additional allegations that he had engaged in a threesome with a minor and an adult.
Gaetz has long denied the allegations. The Department of Justice declined to bring charges following an investigation into alleged sex trafficking. (An investigation undertaken by the House Ethics Committee—which also covered other instances of alleged criminality—is reportedly still underway.)
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But while Gaetz’s journey to Trump’s Cabinet is now done, for two of the women who claimed that Gaetz paid them for sex the road ahead remains rocky. The individuals, now in their mid-20s but teens at the time of their alleged involvement, are grappling with the high-pressure nature of their testimony, enduring harassment and professional anxiety.
“They didn’t ask for this,” said Joel Leppard, a legal representative for the two women during an appearance on this week’s episode of The Daily Beast Podcast. (Leppard’s interview was taped Wednesday evening.) “They’re private individuals trying to move on with their lives—getting their first jobs, finishing school... The media attention alone is terrifying, and that’s before you consider the personal risks they face.”
Leppard described the women as “reluctant witnesses,” compelled to testify to the House Ethics Committee under subpoena. “If you had access to their testimony, you’d know they have zero motivation to lie,” he continued. “But being truthful doesn’t make the experience any less traumatic.”
The fallout has been immense. The women have been forced to take extensive precautions in their daily lives, from limiting their social media presence to investing in personal safety devices. “It’s scary when they get a phone call or a weird text; they’re worried about losing their jobs. I can’t tell you how much they’ve been through” Leppard said.
If he had been confirmed, AG Gaetz would have had access to secret documents about the women—and could have made them public. He would also have had control over formidable powers to direct new investigations into the women by the people and agencies under his control, including U.S. attorneys and the FBI. And while he may have been accused of an abuse of power, attorneys general command wide deference by courts in the use of their powers.
