House Republican leaders are working behind the scenes to persuade a congressman to drop his reelection bid. This effort comes after an ethics report was released against the congressman. The report found evidence of unwanted advances toward female staffers, leading to a recommendation for punishment from the House ethics panel.

The congressman in question represents a competitive seat in North Carolina. The House is currently in recess, but a vote on punishment is expected to take place in September. GOP leaders believe the vote will be successful and would harm the congressman's chances of reelection.

Further details on this story are available from CNN, which broke the news based on information from people familiar with internal discussions.