The girl who was on the heart of a yearslong Justice Division investigation into intercourse trafficking allegations surrounding Rep. Matt Gaetz testified to the Home Ethics Committee that the now-former Florida congressman had intercourse together with her when she was 17 years outdated, sources aware of the investigation advised ABC Information.
President-elect Donald Trump introduced Wednesday that Gaetz had been tapped to function lawyer normal, overseeing the very department of presidency that beforehand carried out its personal investigation of him, which ended final yr with out fees being introduced.
Gaetz resigned from workplace following Trump’s announcement. This got here because the Home Ethics Committee was within the last levels of its investigation, stated sources, who added that the committee was making ready to satisfy this week to deliberate over whether or not to launch a last report on the matter.
Over the summer time, the Home Ethics Committee subpoenaed the lady on the heart of the probe — who’s now in her 20s — and she or he sat for a number of days of testimony the place she testified to the committee that Gaetz had intercourse together with her when she was a minor in highschool, sources near the investigation stated.
The Justice Division had spent years probing the allegations, together with allegations of obstruction of justice, earlier than informing Gaetz final yr that it will not deliver fees.
Gaetz has lengthy denied any wrongdoing associated to the Justice Division probe. In September, he launched an in depth response to questions despatched to him by the Home Ethics Committee, which has been investigating allegations of alleged sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, reiterating his denial of the allegations.
“Your correspondence of September 4 asks whether or not I’ve engaged in sexual exercise with any particular person beneath 18. The reply to this query is unequivocally NO. You possibly can apply this response to each model of this query, in each discussion board,” Gaetz stated in an announcement posted to his social media account.
Rep. Matt Gaetz speaks throughout the Conservative Political Motion Convention in Oxon Hill, Md., Feb. 23, 2024.
Alex Brandon/AP
The girl’s allegation relating to Gaetz grew to become a part of the investigation following claims by former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg, a former buddy of Gaetz, who’s at present serving an 11-year jail sentence after reaching a take care of investigators in Might 2021 wherein he pleaded responsible to a number of federal crimes, together with intercourse trafficking of the lady when she was a minor and introducing her to different “grownup males” who additionally had intercourse together with her when she was underage.
In accordance with Greenberg’s plea deal, the lady, who ABC Information is just not figuring out, met Greenberg on-line in 2017 and commenced assembly him in resorts and homes within the Center District of Florida, the place he “launched the Minor to different grownup males, who engaged in industrial intercourse acts with the Minor within the Center District of Florida,” court docket paperwork stated.
On the time, the minor “represented that she was an grownup” on the web site the place she met Greenberg — and in keeping with his plea settlement, he acknowledges that he “acted in reckless disregard of the truth that the Minor was lower than 18 years outdated when he engaged in industrial intercourse acts” and had a “affordable alternative to watch” that she was underage.
Over the course of its investigation, the Home Ethics Committee carried out interviews with at the very least half a dozen ladies who allegedly attended events the place the Florida congressman was additionally current, and who have been paid by Greenberg, Gaetz’s one-time shut buddy, sources advised ABC Information. A number of the witnesses had been subpoenaed by the committee, whereas others agreed to cooperate, in keeping with the sources.
The Home Ethics Committee additionally subpoenaed Gaetz’s former girlfriend for testimony, and stated she sat for an interview earlier within the yr, sources stated. The previous girlfriend beforehand testified to a grand jury within the intercourse trafficking probe, as ABC Information beforehand reported.
The committee has additionally obtained a sworn written assertion by Gaetz’s ex-girlfriend the place she lists the Florida congressman as one of many attendees at a celebration in July 2017 the place dugs have been current and which was attended by the lady who Gaetz allegedly had intercourse with when she was a minor, sources stated.
ABC Information beforehand reported that the committee obtained written testimony from a separate girl who stated that in July 2017, when she was 20 years outdated, she attended a celebration in Florida that Gaetz additionally attended, and which was attended by the lady who was a minor on the time and the place medicine together with cocaine have been current.
Greenberg, a key witness within the Justice Division probe, has been cooperating with the Home Ethics investigation, in keeping with sources. Earlier this yr, whereas serving time in a Florida federal jail, he offered written testimony to the committee, the sources stated.
Some witnesses have been proven Venmo funds they allegedly acquired from Gaetz, sources stated.
As ABC Information beforehand reported, one girl who stated she attended a celebration with the Gaetz in 2017, who ABC Information is just not figuring out, advised the committee {that a} cost from Gaetz was for intercourse, a number of sources advised ABC Information. Others have stated they have been paid to attend events they stated Gaetz additionally attended, and that these events included medicine and intercourse, the sources stated.
Gaetz has lengthy denied all the allegations, together with paying for intercourse, and beforehand dismissed them by claiming “somebody is attempting to recategorize my generosity to ex-girlfriends as one thing extra untoward.”
Earlier within the yr the committee subpoenaed the Justice Division for data associated to its probe into the Florida congressman, sources stated. It’s unclear if these data have been turned over.
Nonetheless, the committee had obtained some Venmo data from Gaetz after issuing the corporate a subpoena, sources advised ABC Information. Through the Justice Division’s investigation into Gaetz, public reporting, together with by The Every day Beast, largely centered on Venmo data from Greenberg, who, in keeping with his plea settlement, used his account to “pay for industrial intercourse acts” with ladies he additionally launched to others.
