President-elect Donald Trump nominated former Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida firebrand who has been investigated by the Justice Department on allegations of sex trafficking and obstruction of justice, to lead the nation's top law enforcement agency as U.S. Attorney General on Wednesday.

The Florida congressman would be the first U.S. attorney general in four decades who never worked as a government attorney or judge.

The Florida Republican’s abrupt departure effectively halts a House investigation into allegations that he engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.