Top Florida law enforcement officials have responded to allegations involving former Rep. Matt Gaetz, the firebrand Republican who was a thorn in the side of the DC ‘uniparty’ establishment and who was initially named by President-elect Donald Trump to become the U.S. attorney general.
The allegations come in the form of a shocking House Ethics Committee report that members voted in secret earlier this month to release over House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) objections.
Allegations of Gaetz’s involvement in a wide array of schemes and crimes—including accusations of illegal drug use, bribery, and the alleged sexual trafficking of a 17-year-old girl—severely undermined his nomination. These controversies were compounded by the strained relationships he had with many of his fellow House Republicans.
His former associate, Joel Greenberg, the ex-Seminole County Tax Collector, is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to paying a 17-year-old girl for sex and providing her with illegal drugs. In his plea agreement, Greenberg admitted to introducing the minor to other adult men who engaged in commercial s ex acts, though no specific names of those men were mentioned.
The Justice Department, under President Joe Biden, investigated the allegations and found no evidence to charge Gaetz.
Gaetz has denied all allegations of wrongdoing and vowed to retaliate by seeking the release of damaging information about his former colleagues. However, he was ultimately unable to take any legal action to prevent the report’s release, which the committee published on Monday morning.
Following the release of the report, many political observers have speculated whether Gaetz could face state charges, particularly in light of testimony alleging that he had sex with a then-17-year-old girl during a party at lobbyist Chris Dorworth’s home in Seminole County, Florida.
