Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., faces significant opposition for the attorney general post, but some of President-elect Donald Trump’s other picks for top Justice Department officials could serve to reassure concerned senators. The appointment of conservative firebrand Gaetz ruffled feathers in the Senate GOP and sent Democrats into a frenzy.

The staunch Trump supporter has a long history of flouting congressional norms and was the leading Republican architect of the 2023 ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. House Ethics Committee investigationits findings are likely to impact the ratification fight. Ministry of Justice refused to bring charges A lawsuit was filed against Gaetz after a years-long investigation into alleged sex trafficking.

Gaetz is a graduate of William & Mary Law School but worked only briefly in private practice before entering public office. However, the names Trump appointed to serve as deputies are in stark contrast to his candidacy.

“We are building an incredible team at the Department of Justice under the Trump/Vance Administration!” Gaetz said. “We can’t wait to get to work for the American People.”

Justice Department veterans and Trump loyalists

The president-elect announced this week that Todd Blanche, a veteran of the Southern District of New York, will serve as deputy attorney general. Blanche represented Trump in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s hush money case, putting him firmly in the incoming president’s corner. Trump called her “an excellent lawyer who will be a very important leader at the Department of Justice and will fix the Justice System that has been broken for too long.”

Join Blanche Emil Bove as deputy attorney general. Bove also represented Trump and, like Blanche, also served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

“Emil prosecuted terrorists and international drug traffickers as Chief of the National Security Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District in New York, clerked for two Federal Judges, and graduated with honors from Georgetown University Law Center,” Trump said.

Dean John SauerTrump, who argued Trump’s presidential immunity case before the Supreme Court, was recommended to serve as attorney general with the task of representing the government before that body. Trump praised Sauer’s win on immunity as “the key to defeating the Unconstitutional Law campaign against me and the entire MAGA Movement.”

We’ve rounded up the top picks at the DOJ so far: Jay ClaytonThe former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, whom Trump nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. The Southern district has overseen high-profile cases such as those against Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of FTX and major donor to the Democratic party.

The trio of seasoned lawyers will work under Gaetz and could serve as a measure of traditionalism for top Justice Department officials as the former Florida congressman orchestrates dramatic structural reforms.

Assurances

Inside don’t make the choiceTrump said he chose Gaetz to “end an Armed Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Enterprises, and restore Americans’ Faith and Confidence in our badly shattered Department of Justice.”

Gaetz’s experience on the House Judiciary Committee and his background as an anti-corporate wrecking ball seem likely to serve him well in carrying out the initial directive, but he may rely heavily on his aides for much of that privilege.

While Clayton oversees jurisdictions that include New York City, the nation’s financial center will be overseen by the former top regulator. Moreover, Bove’s experience also lends itself to organized crime and border-related issues, while Blanche’s record as a prosecutor addresses a wide range of matters related to gang-related crimes and other federal crimes.

Collectively, Gaetz’s aides will bring practical prosecutorial experience that falls within the Justice Department’s purview on a range of issues that will enable the agency to maintain its core functions as the attorney general deals with the overhaul.

Overcoming opposition

When Gaetz comes up for confirmation, Republicans will have 53 senators in the upper chamber. But some have already expressed concerns about her picks, signaling a potentially tough confirmation battle in the coming weeks.

The issue of Gaetz’s ethics committee report has already come to the fore with the Senator. Dick DurbinD-Ill., requesting House report. Speaker of the Assembly mike johnsonHowever, he said he would call on the panel not to make the findings public, calling such a move a “violation of protocol”. Gaetz resigned It follows Trump’s announcement that he would give the Florida district enough time to elect his replacement before the next Congress.

While his candidacy confused some Republicans, the congressman’s candidacy delighted some senators.

“John Sauer was my Attorney General when I was Attorney General of Missouri. He is a legal genius, an incredible lawyer; “I am very excited for him and his family,” he said. You. Posted by Eric Schmitt, R-Mo. “He will be a great Attorney General for the United States.”

Moreover, Blanche and Bove have won acclaim even from senior Justice Department officials like former Trump Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversaw the Mueller investigation and has been a frequent target of conservative criticism through the administration.

“When the president chooses honest and qualified people, those who criticize inappropriate appointments should applaud.” he said couple. “As Acting Chairman, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove will not allow partisanship to influence Justice Department investigations. The rule of law prevails.”

recess appointments

Before the end of the Senate leadership contest, Trump called on candidates to decide to suspend appointments in his cabinet in order to quickly name his nominees and begin implementing his agenda. Such a process involves impeaching Congress for a few days and appointing nominees while the chambers are not in session.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has been hesitant to commit to such appointments, telling Fox News’ Brett Baier: “We want to do this the normal way and give Democrats a chance to work with us to get people in.”

When asked if he thought Gaetz could win confirmation in the Senate, he replied: “I don’t know the answer to that yet. I mean, of course there are some skeptics, as you noted, but he deserves a process.”

Gaetz reshared a clip The trade in X is “great teamwork!”