Matt Gaetz, 42, has withdrawn from his attorney general nomination amid his ongoing sex-for-hire scandal and subsequent House Ethics Committee investigation.

The former Republican member of Congress from Florida announced Thursday on social media that he is withdrawing his nomination after “unfairly becoming a distraction” to the transition of power to the President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance.

President-elect Trump wasted little time in announcing his new pick for attorney general after Gaetz withdrew. Trump chose former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi for the position, saying in a post on Truth Social that she will “refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting crime, and Making America Safe Again.”

Gaetz wrote on X: “I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback — and the incredible support of so many. 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. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1 ..I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history. I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America.”

Gaetz had drawn backlash from several Republican lawmakers due to controversy over his connection to a federal sex trafficking investigation being investigated by the Justice Department. He remains under investigation by the Republican-controlled House Ethics Committee over similar allegations.

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