Matt Gaetz, the former Florida representative and President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, announced Thursday that he is withdrawing as Trump’s pick for the top prosecutor.
Who is in consideration now for the top spot? Here are potential names floated to head the Department of Justice next.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey was tapped by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson in 2022 to be the state’s top prosecutor after then-state Attorney General Eric Schmitt was elected to the U.S. Senate.
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Bailey, an Army veteran, received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Missouri. He then proceeded to work in the state attorney general’s office and also served as an assistant county prosecutor and a state government lawyer before joining the office of Gov. Mike Parson.
Andrew Bailey, Missouri’s attorney general, is seen during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Parson tapped Bailey in 2022 to be the state’s top prosecutor after then-state Attorney General Eric Schmitt was elected to the U.S. Senate.
Since becoming attorney general, Bailey has launched dozens of lawsuits against the Biden administration and sought to defend the state on a number of conservative issues.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah
Republican Sen. Mike Lee from Utah is also a name being floated for consideration. Lee is currently a high-ranking Republican in the chamber and would face a somewhat easy path to Senate confirmation, at least compared to some of the more controversial names that have surfaced previously.
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Lee had previously expressed that he would not be aiming for the role, telling the Deseret News in an interview, “I have the job I want.”
Lee also told…
