Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) announced his retirement from Congress in a Twitter statement Wednesday. Gowdy, an attorney and former prosecutor, wrote that he will be returning to serving in the justice system. He wrote that he will not be seeking re-election when his term ends.
“Whatever skills I may have are better utilized in a courtroom then in Congress,” he wrote, “and I enjoy our justice system more than our political system.”
Gowdy, Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is the ninth GOP committee chairman to announce retirement this year.
Here is his full statement:
There is a time to come and a time to go. This is the right time, for me, to leave politics and return to the justice system. Full statement here ? pic.twitter.com/7I8AApqvs1
— Trey Gowdy (@TGowdySC) January 31, 2018
UN Ambassador Nikki Haley tweeted a thank you to Gowdy for his contributions and friendship.
I always said the reason @TGowdySC was amazing at his job was bc he disliked politics so much. Trey, thank you for your impatience, sacrifice, and fight to make our country a more just place. SC and our country thank you for your service. I thank you for your friendship. ????
— Nikki Haley (@nikkihaley) January 31, 2018
Gowdy was elected to Congress in 2010 and became chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee last June following former Congressman Jason Chaffetz's (R-UT) resignation.