GOP Congressman Devin Nunes will leave House to work for Trump media company
California Representative Devin Nunes is leaving Congress to be the CEO of former President Donald Trump's media company, the company and Nunes said in a statement Monday.
Nunes, one of Trump's biggest allies in Congress, was first elected to the House in 2002 and had been the chair of the powerful House Intelligence Committee in 2015 when Republicans held the majority. But he was forced to recuse himself from that committee's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election amid an investigation by the Office of Congressional Ethics into whether he had leaked classified information.
Nunes is the 12th House Republican to leave during the 2022 election cycle. He's the second to resign before his term ends. Ohio Congressman Steve Stivers was the first after he took a role with Ohio's Chamber of Commerce.
Nunes represents California's 22nd Congressional District. According to the press release, Nunes will begin his new role in January 2022.
"The time has come to reopen the Internet and allow for the free flow of ideas and expression without censorship," Nunes said in a statement. "I'm humbled and honored President Trump has asked me to lead the mission and the world class team that will deliver on this promise."
California is in the process of redrawing their Congressional lines, and one draft map released in November suggested that Nunes' current district would switch from a district Trump won to one that Biden would've won.
Due to population loss, California is losing a Congressional district for the first time in state history.
Phil Arballo, the Democrat running in California's 22nd district, issued a statement on Nunes' departure saying "good riddance."
Mr. Trump praised Nunes in the statement. The news of Nunes' appointment comes on the same day that regulators confirmed they are investigating the deal to bring the new social media company to the stock market.
Adam Brewster contributed to this report.
