Donald Trump’s nominee for legal professional basic, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, allegedly paid for 2 girls in 2019 to journey to New York to have intercourse, watch his look on Fox Information, and attend the Broadway present “Fairly Lady,” an legal professional for the ladies advised ABC Information.
In an interview with ABC Information’ Juju Chang, Florida legal professional Joel Leppard revealed new particulars concerning his shoppers’ closed-door testimony earlier than the non-public bipartisan committee — together with that his shoppers advised congressional investigators that Gaetz paid for them to journey throughout state traces to have intercourse on no less than two events.
The legal professional additionally stated that the ladies supplied the committee with textual content messages they allegedly exchanged with Gaetz concerning the acquisition of medicine and funds that the legal professional stated have been, partly, for intercourse.
Gaetz, who President-elect Donald Trump chosen final week to function his legal professional basic, has denied any wrongdoing. The Justice Division declined to cost Gaetz final 12 months after a yearslong investigation into the allegations, and members of the Home Ethics Committee are weighing releasing a report summarizing the findings of their very own investigation into Gaetz, after he resigned from Congress following Trump’s announcement.
“Matt Gaetz would be the subsequent Lawyer Basic. He is the suitable man for the job and can finish the weaponization of our justice system,” Trump transition spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer advised ABC Information concerning all of the allegations involving Gaetz.
“These are baseless allegations meant to derail the second Trump administration. The Biden Justice Division investigated Gaetz for years and cleared him of wrongdoing,” Pfeiffer stated of the allegations and the DOJ’s resolution to not carry costs, which the Justice Division started investigating through the first Trump administration.
Leppard described to ABC Information the journey to New York that he says his shoppers testified Gaetz paid for in January 2019.
Republican Consultant Matt Gaetz speaks at a marketing campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump in Henderson, Nev., Oct. 31, 2024.
Mike Blake/Reuters, FILE
“They testified that they met up with Matt Gaetz in New York in January of 2019 for his look on Fox Information … Mr. Gates paid them for the tickets to come back to New York for the journey,” Leppard advised Chang. “They have been requested to go and have intercourse with Rep. Gaetz, after which they might exit and see a present that they needed to see that evening. So primarily, deal with issues, after which in a while, they might have their enjoyable.”
In accordance with Leppard, his shoppers advised the Ethics Committee that Gaetz paid for them to journey to New York in January 2019 for intercourse throughout a visit the place the then-congressman appeared on the Fox Information discuss present “Outnumbered.”
Gaetz — who was already allegedly with one other girl in New York — introduced the ladies to go to Fox Information studios, have dinner, after which to see the play “Fairly Lady,” a present a couple of rich businessman who falls in love with a prostitute, the legal professional stated.
ABC Information independently confirmed that Gaetz appeared in studio on Fox Information on Jan. 4, 2019, a day the legal professional stated his shoppers testified that they hung out with Gaetz, and that the present “Fairly Girls” was operating on Broadway on the time.
“Their testimony is that Rep. Gaetz took them throughout state traces for the aim of getting intercourse and paid them for that?” Chang requested.
“That is right,” Leppard replied.
Summarizing what his shoppers advised the Home Ethics Committee, Leppard advised ABC Information that Gaetz allegedly had intercourse along with his shoppers — who have been adults on the time — on roughly 10 to fifteen events, primarily throughout drug-fueled events or smaller events like non-public journeys to New York or the Bahamas, and have been paid, on a lot of these events, for intercourse by the then-congressman.
“They did testify to the Home that that was their understanding of the funds, that that is why they have been there, to supply a superb time, to have enjoyable, be free and to have intercourse with the gents who have been current, together with Rep. Gaetz,” Leppard stated.
In accordance with Leppard, the boys who attended the events ranged in age from 30 to 50, whereas the ladies have been between the ages of 19 and 21.
“Each of my shoppers testified that that they had intercourse with Rep. Gaetz and that the funds they obtained from him have been partly for sexual favors,” Leppard stated.
Leppard detailed that his shoppers testified that Gaetz additionally paid for them to journey to the Bahamas with different younger girls, together with the girl who has alleged the then-congressman had intercourse along with her when she was a minor.
“It was a trip to the Bahamas, and so they have been my shoppers, the previous minor, in addition to a pair different females, and naturally, the gentleman who have been current,” Leppard stated, referencing the previous 17-year-old who was over 18 by the point of the Bahamas journey.
The Bahamas journey had been a part of the Justice Division’s investigation into Gaetz, sources beforehand advised ABC Information, which in the end didn’t end in costs in opposition to the congressman.
“They testified to Congress that the journey itself was fee,” Leppard stated, clarifying his shoppers weren’t monetarily compensated past their journey and bills throughout that journey.
In accordance with Leppard, the yearslong relationship with Gaetz has continued to weigh on his shoppers, who imagine the data they’ve supplied in hours of testimony throughout a number of investigations ought to come to mild.
Leppard stated the 2 girls detailed to the Home panel how they’ve spent years in counseling — paid for by the Federal Bureau of Investigation — following the investigation.
“The Home requested, ‘Do you imagine that you are a sufferer of Matt Gaetz?” Leppard stated. “My consumer paused and stated, ‘That is a tough query for me to ask,’ after which she began crying, and she or he principally stated that she has been going by way of counseling.”
“My shoppers have been receiving counseling companies paid for by the FBI for years,” Leppard stated.
Leppard added that his shoppers say that their sexual interactions with Gaetz have been absolutely consensual and that they voluntarily participated within the events.
“They did testify that every thing they did was consensual, that they have been by no means compelled to do something,” Leppard stated. “They did testify that the medication generally impaired their judgment, and that they have been anticipated to do medication, however then they have been by no means compelled to do medication, however that the medication made it simpler to do what they have been doing.”
Leppard stated his shoppers — one among whom was a pupil on the time — determined to attend the events the place that they had intercourse with Gaetz and others to be able to make sufficient cash to pay hire.
“It was that sort of state of affairs the place they’re actually, ‘Hey, I received to make hire this month. Let’s exit and go to a few of these occasions,’ and ‘Here is how we’ll pay hire.”
Leppard additionally stated his shoppers supplied the Home Ethics Committee with textual content messages and reviewed Venmo information which they stated documented Gaetz’s alleged funds for intercourse and coded requests for illicit medication, together with marijuana and MDMA, which Gaetz and his one-time pal Joel Greenberg referenced in messages as “nutritional vitamins” or “occasion favors.”
“The occasion favors, after all, meant MDMA or Molly, which was consumed at each one among these occasions,” Leppard stated.
“[Gaetz] would ask utilizing phrases like ‘nutritional vitamins,’ or his favourite time period was ‘occasion favors.’ So he may say, ‘Who’s bringing the occasion favors’ … or ‘Make sure that we have now occasion favors,'” the legal professional stated.
Greenberg is at present serving an 11-year jail sentence after reaching a take care of prosecutors in Might 2021 by which he pleaded responsible to a number of federal crimes together with intercourse trafficking of a girl when she was a minor and introducing her to different “grownup males” who additionally had intercourse along with her when she was underage.
Leppard’s consumer advised Home investigations that taking MDMA or ecstasy was “kind of an expectation” for contributors on the intercourse events, although she didn’t instantly see Gaetz take ecstasy, the legal professional stated.
“She did testify that she noticed Rep. Gaetz showing to be underneath the results of medicine, and that she witnessed him, I believe, at occasions, consuming marijuana,” Leppard stated.
In accordance with Leppard, each his shoppers have been paid to entertain and have intercourse with the attendees of the events.
“They received collectively to occasion, to take medication and have intercourse, primarily,” Leppard stated.
Leppard stated that the funds from Gaetz ranged between $200 and $500 and have been labeled as nondescript purchases, akin to fuel or lodge journeys. The ladies would sometimes have intercourse with out fee, cases that Gaetz or Greenberg requested by asking for a “Buyer Appreciation Week.”
In accordance with Leppard, each his shoppers confirmed to the Home Ethics Committee that the funds have been in change for sexual favors.
“The Home was very clear about that and went by way of every. They primarily put the Venmo funds on the display and requested about them. And my shoppers repeatedly testified, ‘What was this fee for?’ ‘That was for intercourse,'” Leppard stated.
Leppard emphasised that each girls have spoken with investigators — throughout each the Home investigation and Division of Justice probe — for years and denied that their allegations are in any manner politically motivated.
“Now that they have been by way of all that, they do not wish to undergo this once more, and now that it is thought-about for Rep. Gaetz to be probably the most highly effective regulation enforcement officer within the land, I believe that that is related info for the American individuals to think about,” Leppard stated.
