According to the New York Times, Rep. Matt Gaetz is reportedly under investigation over claims of the Florida Republican being part of a federal sex trafficking probe. The report states that Gaetz, 38, is being investigated over a possible relationship he had with a 17-year-old girl and over whether he paid her to travel across state lines. Gaetz, by the way, was the lone vote against a congressional anti-sex trafficking bill that passed in 2017.
“Investigators are examining whether Mr. Gaetz violated federal sex trafficking laws, the people said. A variety of federal statutes make it illegal to induce someone under 18 to travel over state lines to engage in sex in exchange for money or something of value,” the report states. “The Justice Department regularly prosecutes such cases, and offenders often receive severe sentences. It was not clear how Mr. Gaetz met the girl, believed to be 17 at the time of encounters about two years ago that investigators are scrutinizing, according to two of the people.”
“The investigation was opened in the final months of the Trump administration under Attorney General William P. Barr, the two people said,” the report continues. “Given Mr. Gaetz’s national profile, senior Justice Department officials in Washington — including some appointed by Mr. Trump — were notified of the investigation, the people said.”
“The three people said that the examination of Mr. Gaetz, 38, is part of a broader investigation into a political ally of his, a local official in Florida named Joel Greenberg, who was indicted last summer on an array of charges, including sex trafficking of a child and financially supporting people in exchange for sex, at least one of whom was an underage girl,” the bombshell report continues.
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‘Mr. Gaetz said in an interview that his lawyers had been in touch with the Justice Department and that they were told he was the subject, not the target, of an investigation. “I only know that it has to do with women,” Mr. Gaetz said, according to the report. “I have a suspicion that someone is trying to recategorize my generosity to ex-girlfriends as something more untoward.”
As we reported earlier, Gaetz is reportedly eyeing an early departure from Congress to jump-start a new career with Newsmax. Has anyone checked in with Nestor lately?
You can read the full report here.
Featured image via Political Tribune
