Matt Gaetz says he'd be in prison if the sex 'smears' were true in first interview since withdrawing as AG pick

Matt Gaetz said helium fell unfortunate to a 'smear' run that dredged up aged and discredited allegations successful his archetypal interrogation since withdrawing his sanction for information arsenic Donald Trump's lawyer general.

He sensationally dropped retired connected Thursday amid a drip, drip, drip of allegations from a House Ethics Committee probe into allegations that helium had enactment with an underage girl.

'If the things [in] the House Ethics study were true, I would beryllium nether indictment and astir apt successful a situation cell,' helium told The Charlie Kirk Show, according to clips shared exclusively with DailyMail.com. 

'But of course, they're false, due to the fact that erstwhile you trial them against different records, erstwhile you trial them against different testimony, it each falls isolated precise quickly.'

He said helium was the unfortunate of a politically motivated run due to the fact that of his cardinal relation successful forcing retired Kevin McCarthy arsenic House Speaker. 

And helium insisted helium could person answered each the allegations during his confirmation hearings but that the process would person dragged on, undermining Trump's plans to statesman his overhaul of authorities connected time one.

The interrogation volition beryllium released astatine midday Friday.

He besides said that his replacement, erstwhile Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, would beryllium 'phenomenal' successful the role.

And helium has nary plans to instrumentality to Congress.

Instead helium said helium would present enactment to enlistee the endowment that would assistance underpin the Trump administration.

Gaetz was a arguable prime from the outset. His resume lacked ineligible acquisition and helium had been investigated by the section helium was being tapped to run.

He has ever denied the allegation.

'There is simply a play that is tally successful Washington erstwhile they're trying to smear idiosyncratic and, you know, they spell and dredge up false, years aged allegations of the astir salacious and click bait, e spirit possible. And successful this case, they were,' helium said.

'Those allegations were coming from sources that Merrick Garland's DOJ already deemed not credible.'

However, helium recovered himself up against a politically motivated body, helium continued, due to the fact that helium triggered the process that ousted McCarthy past year.

'All of them were manus picked by Kevin McCarthy, and they had an axe to grind,' helium said, 

'So that was going to service arsenic astatine slightest capable of a ground to hold my confirmation arsenic lawyer general. 

'And I could person answered each those questions. I could person engaged successful a months agelong information battle, but we don't person months to spell done that. 

'We've got to person an A.G,. acceptable to spell time 1 to instrumentality the migration docket and enactment connected the different cardinal argumentation deregulatory objectives of the president.'

He said helium was encouraged by meetings connected the Hill Wednesday, erstwhile helium met with the cardinal senators who would assistance usher his confirmation.

But successful the extremity helium announced helium was dropping retired precocious Thursday morning. Trump moved swiftly Thursday to sanction a replacement for Gaetz.

The erstwhile Florida congressman said Bondi would beryllium acceptable to get to enactment connected time one. 

'My bully person Pam Bondi is going to beryllium a phenomenal Attorney General for Donald Trump,' helium said. 

'She has the ineligible acumen. She hates criminals. She is simply a agleam ineligible caput and a chap Floridian. 

'So I deliberation that adjacent though the way volition instrumentality maine to a antithetic presumption successful beingness and a antithetic spot to combat for our docket and President Trump, we've got a large idiosyncratic successful place.'

Gaetz added that helium was acceptable to service Trump nevertheless helium wanted.

'I'm inactive going to beryllium successful the fight, but it's going to beryllium from a caller perch,' helium said. 

'I bash not mean to articulation the 119th Congress. There are a fig of fantastic Floridians who've stepped up to tally for my seat, radical who person inspired with their heroism, with their nationalist service.'