The claim circulating on social media that Matt Gaetz’s resignation from Congress will allow Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to appoint someone to his seat is false. The Constitution requires that House vacancies be filled through an election, not an appointment, and DeSantis has called for a special election to fill Gaetz’s seat. Gaetz resigned from Congress on the same day he was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump for Attorney General, ending a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations against him. DeSantis can appoint a replacement for Senator Marco Rubio, who was chosen by Trump as Secretary of State, but he cannot appoint Gaetz’s successor in the House. The post spreading this misinformation has been debunked by multiple sources. The timing of Gaetz’s resignation means that his seat could be filled by the time the new Congress elects a speaker on January 3. DeSantis has instructed the Florida Secretary of State to schedule special elections to determine successors for both Gaetz and Representative Michael Waltz. The claim that Gaetz’s seat will be filled by appointment is not accurate, as the Constitution mandates that House vacancies must be filled through elections.
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