One of President-elect Donald Trump’s most controversial cabinet nominees is a Southern Baptist.
Matt Gaetz, who abruptly resigned his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives last week just days before a House Ethics Committee was to release its investigation of multiple alleged improprieties — including sexual relations with a 17-year-old girl — is Trump’s nominee to become attorney general. He has been described as someone who would carry out Trump’s desire to exact vengeance on his political enemies.
Gaetz’s own political website describes him as a member of First Baptist Church of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., a Southern Baptist Convention congregation.
In 2017, Gaetz posted this photo of him with some members of First Baptist Church of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., at an event celebrating the 10th anniversary of the church’s Christian Life Center. (Photo via Facebook)
Southern Baptist leaders have been silent on the allegations of sexual improprieties against Gaetz — even though in 1998 the SBC adopted a resolution aimed at denouncing another Southern Baptist politician, then-President Bill Clinton.
Although the Republican-dominated SBC spoke out against a Democratic president’s sexual impropriety, the convention never has spoken against President-elect Donald Trump, who has been accused of sexual harassment and abuse by 69 women. Nor has the SBC had anything to say about Gaetz.
That 1998 resolution lamented that “many Americans are willing to excuse or overlook immoral or illegal conduct by unrepentant public officials so long as economic prosperity prevails.”
It concluded: “We urge all Americans to embrace and act on the conviction that character does count in public office, and to elect those officials and candidates who, although imperfect, demonstrate consistent honesty, moral purity and the highest character.”
Polling data show Southern Baptists voted for Trump in droves, despite known character flaws, moral impurity and illegal conduct. They also have supported Gaetz, who has been described as the most hated member of Congress.
Current Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, also a Southern Baptist, is attempting to quash release of the ethics report on Gaetz.
Gaetz orchestrated the ouster of former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and has played the role of spoiler in other Republican agendas in Congress.
Most recently, he was investigated by the House Ethics Committee, but he resigned from Congress two days before the investigative report was to be made public. Among the allegations against Gaetz is that he had sex with a 17-year-old woman.
Even other conservative Christian legal advocates now are calling Gaetz’s nomination as attorney general flawed.
Mat Staver
Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, a rightwing legal advocacy group, says Gaetz is morally and professionally unqualified for the job. His comments were reported Nov. 15 by the Orlando Sentinel.
Staver published an article online Nov. 14 titled, “Matt Gaetz is Not Qualified to Be U.S. Attorney General.”
Staver said: “President-elect Donald Trump has quickly named many good choices to serve in his cabinet. But Matt Gaetz is not one of them. The nomination of Matt Gaetz as attorney general is shocking and disappointing to those who have followed this man and the lurid scandals and serious allegations of sex parties and drugs during his tenure in the U.S. Congress. The resignation of Gaetz immediately after his name surfaced for attorney general is inexplicable except for the fact this resignation now ends the U.S. House Ethics probe. Obviously, Gaetz does not want America to know the result of the ethics investigation. Matt Gaetz has neither the experience nor the moral character to serve as the highest law enforcement officer of the United States of America. Gaetz should do President Trump and all of America a favor and withdraw his name from consideration. This will save him considerable embarrassment. America deserves better.”
Staver told the Sentinel Gaetz “has no experience to even find his way around a courtroom let alone lead the nation’s largest law firm.”
Other right-leaning religious liberty advocacy groups have been silent on Gaetz’s nomination.
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