Former U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz has pulled himself out of the running to be the nation’s attorney general under president-elect Donald Trump after several days of concern over the selection, even from Republicans.
The announcement Thursday came after the House Ethics Committee deadlocked on releasing a report into allegations of sexual misconduct and illegal drug use by Gaetz.
The politician said he made his decision after he met with Republican senators.
“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance transition. There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General,” he wrote on X.
More to come.