WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as U.S. attorney general, a surprising and highly controversial pick that could set up a confirmation battle in the Senate as the congressman continues to battle accusations of illicit drug use and sex trafficking.

A far-right firebrand, Gaetz spread conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election and falsely blamed antifa activists for the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

He opposed efforts to investigate ties between Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and the Russian government, and criticized Trump’s first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, for allowing the probe to continue.

Last year, Gaetz’s congressional office said that a Justice Department investigation into his alleged involvement in sex trafficking ended without charges. But a bipartisan investigation in the House Ethics Committee into his activities remains ongoing. In June, the committee issued a statement that the allegations against him “merit continued review” and noted that new allegations had emerged that warranted investigation.

Announcing the pick, Trump called Gaetz a “deeply gifted and tenacious attorney who will “focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice.”

“Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System. Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department,” Trump wrote.

“Matt will root out the systemic corruption at DOJ, and return the Department to its true mission of fighting Crime, and upholding our Democracy and Constitution,” he added. “We must have Honesty, Integrity, and Transparency at DOJ.”

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