Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz is unlikely to face charges in a federal sex trafficking case, The Washington Post reported Friday.
Career prosecutors at the Department of Justice reportedly believe that Gaetz would not be convicted at trial due to witness credibility problems. Although senior department officials could overrule those prosecutors, it is unlikely that they do so, according to The Washington Post. The investigation was first reported in March 2021, although it reportedly began in 2020 under the Trump administration.
“Those who told lies about Congressman Matt Gaetz are going to prison, and Congressman Matt Gaetz is going back to Congress to continue fighting for America,” a spokesman for Gaetz’s office told the Daily Caller. (RELATED: Matt Gaetz’s Communications Director Resigns Amid Sexual Allegations Scandal)
Scoop: Career prosecutors recommend no charges for Gaetz in sex-trafficking probe https://t.co/24Reg1sWn9
— Devlin Barrett (@DevlinBarrett) September 23, 2022
The investigation into Gaetz stemmed from a corruption probe into Seminole County, Florida tax collector Joel Greenberg, a former Gaetz political ally. Greenberg pleaded guilty in May 2021 to sex trafficking a minor, identity theft, and fraud. He faces a mandatory minimum of twelve years in prison. Greenberg also forfeited $654,799.95 to the federal government, and will be required to register as a sex offender.
Greenberg reportedly alleged that Gaetz paid him through Venmo for sexual liaisons with young women. The same allegation was not included in Greenberg’s guilty plea.
Gaetz revealed in late March 2021 that he and his family were being extorted in connection with the investigation. Stephen Alford, a career scammer, was sentenced to more than five years in prison in August for attempting to secure $25 million from Matt Gaetz’s father, Don Gaetz, that could lead to a presidential pardon. The money would have gone toward a claimed operation freeing an FBI agent who died in Iranian custody. Alford suggested the plot, dubbed Operation Homecoming, would make Gaetz a national hero and likely to receive a pardon for the alleged sex trafficking.
The three-term congressman also alleged that a former Department of Justice official named David McGee was involved in the extortion scheme. Although McGee has not been charged, he represented Alford in the extortion case. An attorney matching McGee’s description, Attorney A, met with Don Gaetz in connection with the scheme, according to Alford’s guilty plea.