Matt Gates has withdrawn his candidacy for a position in the Donald Trump administration

US Congressman, Matt Gates announced this evening (Thursday) that he would give up his candidacy for the position of Attorney General of Donald Trump in his second term that will begin in January. His announcement came amid an investigation by the Congressional Ethics Committee, which is examining a number of complaints against him about alleged sexual harassment.

Trump responded on the Truth network: “He was an excellent candidate, but at the same time he didn’t want to be a distraction for the administration, and for that I respect him very much! Matt has a promising future, and I look forward to seeing all the wonderful things he will do.”

Sources privy to the details told the American CNN network that among the Trump campaign there was recently a concern that incriminating and serious evidence against Gates was expected to be revealed soon, and that his associates learned that there may be more witnesses to his actions than they thought. Several sources added that yesterday he held meetings with Republican senators – who were expected to approve and reject his candidacy.

According to them, although the talks were not tense, it became clear to Gates that there are a number of fierce opponents of his candidacy, within his own party. They expressed fear that the ethics committee’s publications would result in a vote drift that would make approval of his candidacy impossible.

The nomination of Gates to the equivalent position of Attorney General was called by many as a challenge, and it is believed that Trump’s intention was to place a compliant ally at the head of the Justice Department as he seeks revenge on those who prosecuted him. The choice reflects Trump’s determination to choose as the nation’s top law enforcement official a passionate defender who will not defy his orders or challenge his claims, as William Barr, the last attorney general he confirmed, did in the wake of the 2020 election.

The selection of Gates surprised many of Trump’s allies on Capitol Hill. The announcement was met with immediate and open skepticism by Senate Republicans who will vote on his nomination. The senator Susan Collins Mamen said she was “overwhelmed” by the selection – and anticipated a difficult approval process.

Gates is not the only name in Trump’s cabinet that has been linked to sexual harassment complaints, besides Trump himself, of course, dozens of women have testified against him that he sexually harassed or assaulted them. When his late ex-wife and mother of his children described in the divorce papers an incident in which she claims he raped her.

Last week it was reported that senior members of the incoming president’s transition team are re-examining the future of Pete Hesseththe candidate for the position of Secretary of Defense, following the disclosure of a sexual assault complaint investigated by the police in 2017, according to a source familiar with the details, the complaint refers to an incident that took place in a hotel in the city of Monterey, California, after a convention of the Republican Party.

According to the reports, the complainant, whose identity was not revealed, later signed a confidentiality agreement with Heseth. The Monterey Police Department confirmed that a complaint of “alleged sexual assault” was investigated in 2017, but the investigation did not lead to charges. According to the police report, the incident took place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel between midnight on October 7, 2017 and seven in the morning the next day.

Trump’s transition team was surprised by the detailed revelations and now expresses concern about revealing more details about Geseth. “There’s a lot of frustration around this,” a source close to the matter told the Washington Post, “it wasn’t properly vetted.” Heseth’s lawyer, Tim Pereltor, denied the accusations and claimed that “the complaint was fully investigated and found to be incorrect.”