Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah may be leaving Congress early for a “substantial role” at Fox News Channel, according to a report Saturday.
The news was shared with the Washingtonian by two GOP lawmakers and four senior House Republican aides. The position may take effect as early as July.
Chaffetz, 50, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, announced in April that he would not be seeking re-election in 2018. At the time, speculation was raised about whether he was hiding a scandal or had his eye on seeking another political office. Chaffetz told Politico that he was not leaving because of a scandal, and has said on Facebook only that he is making a “personal decision to return to the private sector.”
Chaffetz has appeared frequently on Fox News to discuss the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails and the 2016 presidential race.
“Let’s just say that when Jason told us he was headed to Fox, no one was surprised,” one senior House Republican aide told the Washingtonian.
Chaffetz did not endorse Trump for president but said he would vote for him over Clinton. He also this week asked the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General to investigate the reason for and information behind FBI Director James Comey’s termination.
