After Rep. Jason Chaffetz announced Wednesday that he wouldn't seek re-election in 2018 and added Thursday that he might even step down "early" from his powerful post in Congress, rumors of scandal and impending doom took flight. This episode was moving fast and we had all seen it before: The surprise announcement followed by denials of anything untoward, then an immediate unraveling of scandalous details at the claws of hungry reporters.
But it's possible, just possible, that this time is actually different. And if that's true, the Utah representative’s departure likely comes down to this: Jason Chaffetz is a media-hungry empty suit at a time when the country needs actual leadership and the spotlight is killing his party. In short, ambition alone can absolutely win elections, but it can't govern. Thus, Chaffetz needs an exit.
Chaffetz's wake up calls? A blistering rebuke from his constituents at a February town hall followed by fellow House investigator Devin Nunes' downright humiliating cover-up of Trump's "wire tapping" misfire.
Bottom line: Republicans are under fire and Chaffetz isn't taking a fall for this idiot president.
As Stephanie Mencimer at Mother Jones reports in a lengthy Chaffetz profile, at the very least, the Utah Republican has a publicist’s sixth sense for both trouble and opportunity, if not much else.
Chaffetz, who on Thursday said he might not finish out his term, has been considered a contender for Utah governor in 2020 and perhaps one day for the presidency. But the early days of the Trump administration haven't been easy for him. The once-brash congressional inquisitor has twisted himself into a pretzel trying to explain why he hasn't been investigating President Trump, the most conflict-ridden commander-in-chief in modern US history. And the 50-year-old congressman has experienced an unexpected level of outrage in his own deep red district.
By heading back to the private sector Chaffetz risks lowering his public profile, which could impede any gubernatorial effort. No one knows this better than Chaffetz, who sought the spotlight in DC and who built a career in public relations before running for Congress in 2008.
But Chaffetz's rise in politics was hardly conventional, and it was aided by a publicist's eye for reputational pitfalls and opportunities. His curious retreat should not lead any political observers to count him out of future contests. In fact, it's probably best interpreted as a sign that he's very carefully planning his political future—not abandoning it.
While the quick turn of events would spell trouble for 99 percent of lawmakers, Chaffetz has a history of hasty shifts.
Chaffetz spent more than a decade at Nu Skin before leaving the company abruptly in 2000 without any obvious next stop.
He also volunteered for Jon Huntsman's gubernatorial campaign, moved to communications director then campaign manager and, finally, after Huntsman triumphed, was tapped to become chief of staff.
But Chaffetz only lasted a year in the job.
Chaffetz also isn't a loyalist to anyone but himself—meaning he wouldn't stand by any politician (think Trump) who might permanently dent his reputation. Getting "Chaffetzed"—as in getting back stabbed—is a verb on the Hill. GOP Rep. Darrell Issa, who served as House Oversight chair immediately before Chaffetz, found that out the hard way.
Issa had seen potential in Chaffetz and had helped him early in his congressional career by making him the chairman of the national security subcommittee. [...]
Within the Republican caucus, Chaffetz campaigned for the chairmanship as the anti-Issa, implicitly critiquing the oversight chairman's combative style and suggesting that he could bring to the committee an element of media savvy that Issa lacked. Once again, Chaffetz stabbed a mentor in the back and won. In 2015, he became one of the most junior members of the House ever to chair the high-profile committee.
After assuming the chairmanship, one of his first moves was taking down the portraits of past chairmen, including Issa, that hung in the hearing room.
In short, what seemed highly unlikely just a couple days ago, now seems possible, if not probable: Jason Chaffetz is taking his empty vessel out of the spotlight for now, lest it get overexposed. That’s not so much a scandal as it is a sign of the times. When the dust settles after Trump, Chaffetz aims to still be standing.
And if his public relations savvy is truly on target, it means there’s a lot more Republican casualties of Trump to come.