A scandal-plagued Florida congressman could lead the Department of Justice.

President-elect Donald Trump announced his plan to nominate Matt Gaetz as the next attorney general of the United States on his social media channel, saying he would root out so-called systemic corruption at the Department of Justice.


What You Need To Know

  • President-elect Donald Trump is likely to want drastic change at the Department of Justice, that includes U.S. attorneys

  • Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York, is likely to leave his post

  • Experts believe Mayor Eric Adams' case will continue 

A loyal soldier to Trump, the selection, which will need approval from the Senate, is an indicator of where the department may go and potentially what kind of impact it might have here on lower-level appointees in the department, including the country's most powerful local prosecutor - the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Damian Williams, the current occupant of the office, was appointed by President Joe Biden.

If history is any indication, Williams will not remain long in the post, replaced by another prosecutor of the Trump administration's choosing.

During Trump's first term in office, that transition proved to be dramatic.

"It's pretty standard for a new president to install his own U.S. attorneys,” said Bennett Capers of Fordham Law School.

Capers also served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the same district in the 1990s and 2000s.

“So, just as Trump is going to pick an attorney general, he is likely to ask for resignations of U.S. attorneys around the country," Capers said.

Experts say, including those with experience in the office, Williams is all but certain to head for the exit. That happens as one of the most high-profile cases is heading to trial in April.

For months, Mayor Eric Adams has been reluctant to criticize Trump, perhaps with the hope something might change with his case.

Trump, after all, could pardon the mayor or the Department of Justice could potentially drop the case — which would be highly unusual and exceedingly rare.

"I suspect that he's hoping that this will somehow be done to his benefit,” Capers said. “That Trump will find a way to intervene either by appointing a new prosecutor who will go lightly on his case or dismiss it, or trump could outright pardon his case himself. It seems to be that it's almost a Hail Mary pass."