WASHINGTON – Former Congressman Matt Gaetz announced that he will not be coming back to Congress in January, following his decision to withdraw from consideration for President Donald Trump’s attorney general position.

“I will continue to be involved, but from a different vantage point. I do not plan to rejoin the 119th Congress,” the Florida Republican shared with Charlie Kirk during an interview on Friday, marking his first statement since retracting his candidacy on Thursday.

Gaetz faced ongoing allegations of sexual misconduct, which likely affected his chances of securing enough support for a Senate confirmation as the top law enforcement official in the country.

Trump revealed on Thursday night that he will instead nominate Pam Bondi, the former Attorney General of Florida, for the role.

It was uncertain whether Gaetz would be able to reclaim his seat for the next Congress after resigning from it just last week.

“I will be supporting President Trump and will do whatever he needs me to do, as I have always done,” he stated to Kirk. “However, I believe eight years is likely enough time in the U.S. Congress.”

If Gaetz had decided to go back, it’s probable that the House Ethics Committee would have released a report potentially harmful to him.

The Department of Justice – which he would have led if appointed as attorney general – previously investigated claims that Gaetz engaged in statutory rape by providing payment for sex with a 17-year-old girl and for her travel with him across state lines. This investigation was ultimately closed without any charges being filed.

However, the House Ethics Committee, a bipartisan group consisting of both Democrats and Republicans, was also looking into these and other allegations. They were set to vote on whether to publicize their findings just two days after Gaetz’s sudden resignation from his House seat.

Typically, reports on former members are not made public by the House, though Democrats on the committee advocated for disclosure, and several Republican senators emphasized that it was crucial for them to examine the findings while considering his candidacy for attorney general.

A lawyer representing two witnesses mentioned that his clients testified before the Ethics Committee regarding the allegations. One witness claimed to have seen Gaetz appear to be under the influence of drugs while allegedly sexually abusing the 17-year-old, though she stated she did not believe Gaetz was aware of the girl’s age. Gaetz has denied these allegations.

The committee convened on Wednesday but could not reach a decision on whether to make the report public. House Speaker Mike Johnson had urged the committee not to release the findings, arguing that it would set a troubling precedent to disclose the outcomes of investigations into former members of Congress.