Federal prosecutors have closed a long-running sex-trafficking investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and have decided not to press charges against him, attorneys for the congressman said.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associated Press
“We have just spoken with the DOJ and have been informed that they have concluded their investigation into Congressman Gaetz and allegations related to sex trafficking and obstruction of justice and they have determined not to bring any charges against him,” Marc Mukasey and Isabelle Kirshner said in a statement.
In September, The Washington Post reported that career prosecutors had recommended against charging Gaetz, telling Justice Department superiors that a conviction was unlikely in part because of credibility questions with the two central witnesses, according to people familiar with the matter. CNN first reported that Wednesday that the Justice Department decided to close the investigation.
A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment Wednesday afternoon.
The investigation into Gaetz began in late 2020 and focused on his alleged involvement several years earlier with a girl who at that time was 17. Investigators examined his dealings with the alleged victim and set out to determine if Gaetz paid for sex in violation of federal sex-trafficking laws, people familiar with the matter have said. Earlier this year, a federal grand jury in Orlando heard testimony from associates of Gaetz’s, including an ex-girlfriend.
Gaetz, 40, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, saying he has never paid for sex. He has also said the only time he had sex with a 17-year-old was when he was also 17.
The ex-girlfriend who testified to the grand jury was among several women on a trip Gaetz allegedly took to the Bahamas in 2018 that has been of particular interest to investigators. The 17-year-old at issue in the investigation was also on that trip, though by that time she was already 18 or older, people familiar with the matter have said. She was a central witness in the investigation. People familiar with the case said she is one of two people whose testimony had issues that veteran prosecutors felt would not pass muster with a jury.
The other is a former friend of Gaetz’s, Joel Greenberg, a former tax collector for Seminole County, Fla. Greenberg pleaded guilty in 2021 to sex trafficking of a minor and a host of other crimes as part of a cooperation deal with authorities.
Greenberg was first charged in 2020 with fabricating allegations and evidence to smear a political opponent, but prosecutors continued to investigate and added charges to his case. He ultimately agreed to plead guilty to six criminal charges, including sex trafficking of a child, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud.
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