Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz’s close associate Joel Greenberg, a former Seminole County, Florida, tax commissioner, struck a deal with federal prosecutors to reduce his criminal case and entered a guilty plea in court this week. Still, he is reportedly not the only individual in the prosecutors’ crosshairs. Greenberg plans to help investigators in their sprawling investigation that includes a sex trafficking probe. The plea agreement contains over 80-pages, and now, Politico reports that Joe Ellicott, a close friend and former employee of Greenberg’s, is listed in the grand jury subpoena.
“Nicknamed “Big Joe,” Ellicott was listed in a federal grand jury subpoena sent to a different individual,” the outlet reports. “The subpoena also lists Gaetz and two friends of his, including former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg, who has agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors as they examine whether the congressman had sex with a 17-year-old and paid her for it in 2017.”
The subpoena specifically states that the grand jury is investigating alleged crimes “involving commercial sex acts with adult and minor women, the outlet reports, “as well as obstruction of justice” and seeks any communications, documents, recordings and payments the individual had with Ellicott, Gaetz and Greenberg from January 2016 until now.”
Two sources familiar with the investigation told the outlet that Ellicott is also being scrutinized for alleged sex trafficking of a minor.
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“After Greenberg assumed office, he hired Ellicott and other friends in a spending spree that went against his campaign promise to end “crony capitalism,” the report continues. “Ellicott, who ran a collectibles store and lived with his mother, had no experience in taxation or government matters but earned a $97,248 annual salary as assistant deputy tax collector.”
“As scandals engulfed Greenberg, Ellicott was accused of sexually harassing a woman who worked in the Seminole County tax collecting office,” the report continues. “The woman sent the office a letter on Aug. 28, 2019, threatening to sue over the alleged harassment that listed a host of inappropriate comments Ellicott allegedly made to her, including “how much he wants sex from young women,” and “how he uses women sexually when they are in desperate situations such as a young student or a single mom,” according to a copy of the letter.”
Gaetz certainly has some dubious friends. Still, the Florida Congressman has maintained that he has never paid for sex. However, he says a lot of things that aren’t true. Gaetz doesn’t have many Republicans to defend him as the investigation heats up, and Greenberg will definitely flip on him if he has evidence that would point to his guilt.
You can read the full report here.
Featured image via Gage Skidmore/Flickr, under Creative Commons license 2.0
