Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name from consideration to become attorney general after days of debate over whether to release a congressional report on sexual misconduct allegations against him.
On X, formerly Twitter, the 42-year-old said that the controversy over his potential nomination “was unfairly becoming a distraction” to the work of the incoming Trump administration.
The report included the findings of a probe sparked by allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.
Gaetz denied the claims but said he hoped to avoid a “needlessly protracted Washington scuffle.”
The withdrawal of Gaetz, whom Donald Trump selected to be the top US law enforcement officer, represents a setback for the president-elect.
The shadow cast by the long-running investigation by a congressional ethics panel into a number of claims involving drugs, bribes and sex meant that Gaetz was likely to face an uphill battle when it came time to be confirmed by the US Senate.
Lawmakers – including some fellow Senate Republicans – had expressed concern about his nomination, reportedly prompting a significant closed-door effort by him and Trump to secure the necessary support.
The day before his withdrawal, the House Ethics Committee—which compiled the report—met behind closed doors to debate whether to release it into Gaetz.
Gaetz resigned from his House seat last week after Trump nominated him to become attorney general.
It is unclear whom Trump will nominate in his place.
The allegations stem, in part, from a woman’s claims that she attended a 2017 party with him and witnessed the then-congressman having sex with a minor.
The woman’s lawyer later said that Gaetz paid the woman and another witness to have s3x with him.
A separate three-year federal s3x trafficking investigation into Gaetz ended with no charges brought against him.
