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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Sen.-elect John Curtis denied media reports that he had committed to reject former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., as President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general before Gaetz withdrew his bid on Thursday.
Curtis had no plans to confirm or reject Gaetz's bid for attorney general until he had met with Gaetz and participated in the Senate's constitutional duty to review the president's cabinet picks in confirmation hearings, according to Curtis' chief of staff, Corey Norman.
"Reports suggesting that Curtis rejected the Gaetz nomination before completing this process are inaccurate," Norman told the Deseret News Saturday in a statement. "The senator-elect did not meet with Mr. Gaetz and had no intention of rejecting the nomination prior to their meeting."
On Wednesday, Gaetz and Vice President-elect JD Vance, a senator from Ohio, met privately with Republican senators in an attempt to increase support for his nomination. Gaetz did not reach out to Curtis for a meeting, according to Norman, who said Curtis "is dedicated to meeting with every nominee to ensure his decisions align with the best interests of the people of Utah."
A day later, Gaetz withdrew his weekold nomination for attorney general, saying despite his bid's strong "momentum," he did not want to continue distracting from the Trump transition.
The New York Times and NBC reported on Thursday that multiple sources close to Gaetz said the former congressman believed a group of at least four Republican senators were "implacably opposed" to his nomination and "unlikely to be swayed."
Both outlets included Curtis — as well as former Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and moderate GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, and Susan Collins, of Maine — in their lists of those who firmly opposed Gaetz as the nation's top law enforcement official.
With a 53-seat GOP majority in the Senate, only four senators were needed to torpedo Gaetz's chances at running the Department of Justice, which previously investigated Gaetz, over allegations that he paid underage girls for sex and transported them across state lines. No charges were filed. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that sources believed more than a dozen Republican senators were "prepared to vote no" on Gaetz's nomination.
Gaetz's nomination to head more than 100,000 employees at the Department of Justice was met with immediate consternation on the part of multiple congressional lawmakers. Gaetz gained national attention in October 2023 when he spearheaded the ouster of his party's House speaker for the first time in American history.
Two days after Gaetz tendered his resignation to the U.S. House of Representatives, the House Ethics Committee was scheduled to vote on releasing a "highly damaging" report regarding Gaetz's alleged sexual misconduct, illicit drug use as well as accepting improper gifts, giving special favors and obstructing the House investigation.
Gaetz has denied the allegations.
