It was the kind of right-wing conspiracy theorists who accuse Democrats, celebrities, and the “liberal elite” of child sex trafficking, who voted for Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) in 2018. Now, they’re finding out that he was involved in sex trafficking.
CNN reports that Matt Gaetz’s ex girlfriend is cooperating https://t.co/bqjuS21AoF
— Scott Stedman (@ScottMStedman) May 21, 2021
An ex-girlfriend of Gaetz’s, whose name has not been released, is reported to be working with police to aid the investigation. She is said to be providing background details to make sense of evidence such as records of financial transactions between Gaetz and other men involved in the crime and answer questions about the critical time period related to the investigation of early 2017.
According to CNN:
‘The woman, a former Capitol Hill staffer, is seen as a critical witness, as she has been linked to Gaetz as far back as the summer of 2017.’
BREAKING: A Florida politician seen as a central figure in a federal sex trafficking investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz enters a guilty plea as part of a cooperation deal. https://t.co/ocDSmm22tF
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 17, 2021
A friend of Gaetz, Joel Greenberg, who says he arranged meetings, payments, and trips for women in exchange for sex and drugs with Gaetz as a participant, including a 17-year-old minor, has already agreed to work with prosecutors in exchange for a lighter sentence. Since plea deals far more often lead to a bigger arrest, legal experts see the offering of a plea deal in Greenberg’s case as a clear indication that the bigger arrest will be his friend and alleged accomplice, Rep. Gaetz.
‘News of the woman’s willingness to talk, which has not been previously reported, comes just days after the Justice Department formally entered into a plea agreement with Joel Greenberg, a one-time close friend of Gaetz whose entanglement with young women first drew the congressman onto investigators’ radar.’
Former Florida tax official whose criminal case led to a sex trafficking investigation of Rep. Gaetz has agreed to plead guilty to 6 of the charges against him and to cooperate with federal investigators, court filings show. https://t.co/ojH9FuamXn
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) May 15, 2021
The investigation also appears to be in full-force and not ending any time soon. New evidence has been presented in recent days and other witnesses may come forward. However, what’s clear is that Gaetz is facing a very serious charge. Gaetz denies having any involvement with the crime and says that he has never paid for sex.
‘One person familiar with the matter said that federal investigators have sought information from new witnesses as recently as this month, including communications and payments from a group of men that included Gaetz and Greenberg.’
EXCLUSIVE: Joel Greenberg will identify the escort to investigators as one of more than 15 young women Gaetz paid for sex, according to a source familiar with the investigation. https://t.co/HXbj5qPTT4
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) May 16, 2021
