Former representative Matt Gaetz has denied the allegation that he had sex with a 17-year-old high school junior after a newly unsealed batch of court documents detailed her account and the vulnerable circumstances that led her into contact with the Florida Republican, Newsweek reported.This came a year after the House Ethics Committee report found “substantial evidence” that Gaetz allegedly “regularly paid women for engaging in sexual activity with him,” “engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl” in 2017, used or possessed illegal drugs, and accepted gifts beyond what is permissible. He withdrew his nomination to serve as President Donald Trump’s attorney general last year amid scrutiny of the ethics investigation and questions over whether he could secure enough support from Republican senators in the confirmation process.
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He has never been charged with any crime. What new documents reveal The girl, now an adult, was described in documents reported by The New York Times as a homeless high school junior who met Gaetz in 2017 through associates involved in a broader sex-trafficking investigation. She is now working at McDonald’s when she began using a “sugar dating” website to make money, hoping to afford braces. According to records and a bipartisan House Ethics Committee report, she first met Joel Greenberg — then a local tax collector and Gaetz ally — who paid her for sex multiple times and gave her ecstasy. Greenberg later introduced her to Gaetz at a 2017 party where she testified that she used drugs and had sex with Gaetz twice in exchange for $400.The 42-page report read: “Victim A recalled receiving $400 in cash from Representative Gaetz that evening, which she understood to be payment for sex. Victim A said she did not inform Representative Gaetz that she was under 18 at the time, nor did he ask her age.” Gaetz, who has denied ever having sex with her, was investigated by the Justice Department but not charged, partly due to concerns about her potential credibility under cross-examination. A House Ethics Committee report later found “substantial evidence” he violated Florida’s statutory rape laws. The girl’s lawyer says her client wants the public to understand the economic vulnerability that led to her exploitation. Greenberg ultimately pleaded guilty to sex trafficking the minor and is serving a 10-year sentence.
