CLEVELAND, Ohio – Former Justice Department officials who worked in Cleveland reacted Thursday with shock over President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz as the next attorney general.
Gaetz, of Florida, has a law degree but has no experience in law enforcement and once was investigated, but not charged, in connection with a human trafficking case. Gaetz has also talked openly about gutting the Justice Department and other federal agencies.
Several former Cleveland-based federal prosecutors who spoke with cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, including those who worked under Republicans, said they were surprised by Trump’s selection.
“I’m shocked and distressed,” said former U.S. Attorney Greg White, who was appointed to the post by Republican President George W. Bush. “This doesn’t bode well for the Justice Department.”
Gaetz would still need to be confirmed by the Republican-led U.S. Senate to take over as country’s top law enforcement official.
The 42-year-old’s five terms in the House have been overshadowed by a Justice Department-led criminal investigation into sex trafficking and a House Ethics Committee probe into accusations of sexual misconduct, illicit drug use and accepting improper gifts.
The federal investigation ended with no charges and the ethics investigation effectively ended when Gaetz resigned from the House on Wednesday. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Gaetz has also championed Trump’s rhetoric during the campaign of purging officials in the Justice Department that he believes “weaponized” the department against political opponents, citing Trump’s two federal indictments on accusations of trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election and mishandling classified documents.
Dave Sierleja, a former acting U.S. attorney in Cleveland under Trump’s first administration who went onto become the first assistant under Trump-appointee Justin Herdman, said he, too, believes the Justice Department has been weaponized into prosecuting political opponents.
But Sierleja said he thought Gaetz’s nomination was “unusual” and questioned Gaetz’s qualifications.
“I was surprised,” Sierleja said. “I thought it was an unusual pick based around all the noise around the guy.”
A source who has recently spoken with several former U.S. attorneys who have been thinking about returning to the Justice Department under the new Trump administration said that Gaetz’s nomination won’t deter them from applying.
“But no one’s happy,” said the source, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity.
Subodh Chandra, a former assistant U.S. attorney who is now a civil rights attorney, said he was “appalled,” “mortified” and “embarrassed” by the pick.
He said Gaetz is thoroughly unqualified for the position. Chandra said if Gaetz applied to be an on-the-ground prosecutor, he wouldn’t be able to pass a background check to get the job. He also said he would expect morale to plummet if Gaetz is confirmed for the role.
“It sure seems like Trump is putting super villains in charge of Gotham City,” Chandra said.
Chandra said he hopes Republican senators “grow spines” and reject Gaetz’s confirmation.
White, the former U.S. attorney, said he would be “surprised and sad” if the Senate confirmed Gaetz.
If Gaetz is approved, White said, he would take a “wait-and-see” approach on how it might affect northern Ohio’s federal prosecutors.
“Gutting the Justice Department would be bad,” White said. “Traditionally, the work of the Justice Department and particularly the U.S. attorney’s office in the Northern District of Ohio goes on no matter who is the AG or who the president is. We have very qualified assistant U.S. attorneys who are career people who work hard and do the right thing every day.”
Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer reporter Jeremy Pelzer contributed to this report.