Jason Chaffetz says there's no scandal forcing him out of office

Jason Chaffetz.
(Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) said his decision to not run for re-election, and his sudden announcement that he might not even finish out the rest of his term, isn't because of some yet-to-be-revealed scandal.

"Not in any way, shape, or form," he told Politico Thursday. "I've been given more enemas by more people over the last eight years than you can possibly imagine. From the Secret Service to the Democratic Party. I am who I am. If they had something really scandalous, it would've come out a long, long time ago."

Chaffetz was first elected to represent Utah's 3rd congressional district in 2008, and is chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He told Politico he's already in talks about future employment and would be "thrilled to have a television relationship," but he's not ruling out a return to politics down the road. "I want to keep those doors open," he said. "I'm not closing any potential future run."

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Catherine Garcia

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.