CNN
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Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz said Thursday he is stepping down from President-elect Donald Trump as attorney general, writing on social media that his appointment “unfairly became a distraction.”

Gaetz’s withdrawal comes after meetings with Republican senators this week as Trump’s transition team tried to gauge whether he would get enough support from the Republican Party to be confirmed.

“I had excellent meetings with senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback – and the incredible support from so many. While momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation unfairly became a distraction from the critical work of the Trump/Vance transition,” Gaetz wrote on X.

“There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted scuffle in Washington, so I will withdraw my name from serving as attorney general. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.”

Democrats pushed for the release of a House Ethics Committee report detailing its investigation into Gaetz, including allegations of sexual misconduct and other alleged crimes, after the panel’s Republicans voted Wednesday to not to release the results of the research.

Gaetz has vehemently denied allegations investigated by the Justice Department and the commission, including the claim that he had sex with a woman in 2017 when she was a minor.

CNN reported Thursday that sources familiar with her testimony said the woman told the ethics committee that she had two sexual encounters with Gaetz at a party in 2017, when she was 17 years old. She testified that the second sexual encounter, which has not previously been reported, involved another adult woman. She also testified about both sexual encounters in a civil deposition as part of a related lawsuit, sources said.

After being asked for comment for CNN’s story, Gaetz announced his withdrawal as Trump’s nominee for attorney general.

This story has been updated with additional developments.