REPORT: Trey Gowdy Has Something BIG Planned After Retirement

In a surprise twist, Rep. Trey Gowdy announced he will NOT seek another term as a congressman.

Gowdy’s announcement caught many off guard, but a new report may shed some light on why he’s not returning to Congress, and if true, it’s VERY GOOD news for President Trump and America!

GOP Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina was offered a federal judgeship in 2017, The Daily Caller News Foundation has learned.

The four-term Republican announced Wednesday that he will retire from Congress, just one day after Judge Dennis Shedd of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals assumed senior-status, a form of quasi-retirement under which judges leave active service while still participating in a handful of cases. The timing prompted speculation that Gowdy, a career prosecutor, would be tapped to succeed Shedd.

“He is not planning on becoming a judge,” a source close to the congressman told TheDCNF. “He was approached months ago and turned it down.” The source added that he will return to private practice.

A White House official confirmed that Gowdy was approached for a judgeship, but declined the offer.

The 4th Circuit is the federal appeals court based in Richmond, Va. Shedd’s seat covers the portion of the 4th Circuit covering South Carolina, the congressman’s home state.

It is not clear whether Gowdy was approached for a seat on the 4th Circuit or the federal trial court in South Carolina. President Donald Trump filled a vacancy of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina in Nov. 2017. As a lawyer with extensive trial experience, Gowdy would have been a strong candidate for that appointment as well.