Rep. Devin Nunes resigns as CEO of Trump Media Group

Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., announced on Monday he was resigning from Congress to take over the CEO position in former President Donald Trump's social media company in January.

I was presented with a new opportunity to fight for the most important issues I believe in. In a letter to his constituents, Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a letter to the House of Representatives that he has decided to pursue this opportunity and that he will be leaving the House of Representatives at the end of 2021.

He said that I have not given up our collective fight by any means, but I ll just be pursuing it through other means.

Nunes would have been in line to become chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee if the Republicans win the majority control of the House in the midterm elections in 2022. The California Republican will lead Trump Media Technology Group TMTG despite having no prior tech experience.

In a press release by TMTG, the former president described Nunes as a fighter and leader who will stop Big Tech from destroying the freedoms that make America great. Trump and other conservative lawmakers have repeatedly accused Silicon Valley social media firms of censorship and cancelling culture.

Nunes served in Congress for 10 terms. After revealing classified information, he was forced to leave the House Intelligence Committee's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. He was serving as a ranking member of the committee at the time.

Nunes was one of the 147 House Republicans who challenged President Joe Biden's election win after the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.

If the GOP wins back the House majority, the top position in the Ways and Means Committee will be open due to the resignation of the Republican. Some senior Republicans are expected to run, including Sen. Vern Buchana, R-Fla. Adrian Smith, and R-Neb. Jason Smith, R-Mo. According to The Hill,

Nunes was appointed CEO of the TMTG hours after it was revealed that the Securities and Exchange Commission SEC asked the Securities and Exchange Commission SEC for information about stock trading and communications with Trump's social media company.

Digital World Acquisition Corp. is on track to merge with TMTG. The SEC investigation was disclosed in an 8-K filing with the government agency.