Trump taps firebrand congressman Matt Gaetz for attorney general

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday named firebrand Republican U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz to be his nominee for attorney general, as he moves swiftly to assemble a Cabinet.

"Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department," Trump said in a statement announcing the selection, which would be subject to confirmation by the Republican-majority Senate.

Trump's inner circle has described the attorney general as the most important member of the administration after Trump himself, key to his plans to carry out mass deportations, pardon Jan. 6 rioters and seek retribution against those who prosecuted him over the past four years.

During his first term, Trump was infuriated by what he called an obstructive Justice Department, including attorneys general Jeff Sessions, who allowed a probe into alleged contacts between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia, and Bill Barr, who publicly refuted his false claims his 2020 election loss was the result of fraud.

(Reporting by Andrew Goudsward and Sarah N. Lynch; editing by Scott Malone)