Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) speaks to reporters (screen capture)After a lengthy investigation, the Justice Department has reportedly decided against bringing sex trafficking charges against Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).
Breaking News: The Justice Dept. won’t charge Rep. Matt Gaetz after a sex-trafficking investigation, people with knowledge of the matter said. In 2021, federal prosecutors examined if he broke federal sex-trafficking laws. https://t.co/CCerzOHw86
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 15, 2023
From the New York Times:
In 2021, federal prosecutors began examining whether Mr. Gaetz, a close ally of former President Donald J. Trump, broke federal sex-trafficking laws, focusing on his relationships with women recruited online for sex, and whether he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl.
Scrutiny of Mr. Gaetz grew out of an investigation into a close ally of his, Joel Greenberg, a former tax collector in Seminole County, Fla., who was convicted of sex trafficking in December and sentenced to 11 years in prison.
In 2021, Gaetz told the New York Times he had a “suspicion that someone is trying to recategorize my generosity to ex-girlfriends.” But he maintained he’d not had sexual relations with a minor and he was innocent of the allegations.
Related: Matt Gaetz Party Pal Pleads Guilty To Sex Trafficking
Read more here.
BREAKING: Justice Dept. is ending its sex trafficking investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz without charging the congressman with any crimes, his attorneys and congressional office say. pic.twitter.com/SjnOYfiqGs
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) February 15, 2023
According to multiple accounts, Matt Gaetz sought a Trump pardon in response to a sex-trafficking investigation. As it turns out, the Republican congressman didn't need one. https://t.co/hFJl3Gqdxq
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen) February 15, 2023