House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) speaks during a business meeting in February.
Jason Chaffetz, a Republican who chairs the House Oversight Committee, says he won't for re-election or any other office in 2018.
"I may run again for public office, but not in 2018", Chaffetz said in his Facebook posting.
The conservative Republican, who was first elected to the House in 2008 and represents a district in eastern Utah, gained prominence as head of the committee that was investigating Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server.
'For those that would speculate otherwise, let me be clear that I have no ulterior motives.
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Democrats in Congress have been especially critical of Chaffetz for not vigilantly investigating President Trump and the billionaire's potential conflicts of interest.
The remarks triggered a firestorm of criticism on social media with people comparing how many iPhones they could buy if they didn't have to pay medical bills in the tens of thousands of dollars.
"The more I'm here, the more I'm convinced I don't want to be in the United States Senate", Chaffetz said in an interview with the Deseret News.
Half of the voters are registered Republicans in Chaffetz' 3rd congressional district, which stretches from suburban Salt Lake City to desert towns in southeastern Utah and includes heavily conservative Mormon areas. He has long hinted at his plans to leave the House by 2020 and perhaps mount a gubernatorial bid, but the lawmaker faced recent speculation that he might run for Senate Pro Tem Orrin Hatch's (R-Utah) seat in 2018. I would take a serious, serious look at running for governor.
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