A woman who was the focus of a lengthy investigation by the Justice Department regarding sex trafficking claims involving Rep. Matt Gaetz recently testified to the House Ethics Committee.
She stated that Gaetz had sexual relations with her when she was just 17, according to sources familiar with the case.
Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump revealed on Wednesday that he had chosen Gaetz for the position of attorney general, which would put him in charge of the very department that previously investigated him and ultimately decided not to file any charges last year. Following this announcement, Gaetz resigned from his congressional position.
This resignation came at a time when the House Ethics Committee was wrapping up its own inquiry into his conduct. Sources indicated that they were getting ready to meet this week to discuss whether or not to publish their findings.
Over the summer, they issued a subpoena to the woman involved in this situation—now in her twenties—and she provided several days of testimony asserting that Gaetz had sexual encounters with her while she was still a minor in high school.
In response to our report on these allegations, Gaetz claimed, These accusations are fabricated and would amount to false testimony before Congress.
He urged people to view these allegations skeptically after a three-year criminal investigation concluded without any charges against him.
The Justice Department meticulously examined various claims against Gaetz over several years, including obstruction of justice allegations, before deciding last year not to pursue any charges. Throughout this process, he has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to these investigations.
In September, he addressed questions posed by the House Ethics Committee regarding alleged sexual misconduct and drug use.
He firmly denied ever engaging in sexual activity with anyone under 18: Your correspondence from September 4 asks if I have been involved with anyone under 18.
The answer is an emphatic NO—this applies no matter how you phrase it, he stated on social media. Additionally, he criticized Joel Greenberg—the committee’s key witness—as a lying felon who drags others into his deceitful narratives and mentioned how Greenberg had previously been indicted for falsely accusing a teacher of being a pedophile during an election campaign against him.
The woman’s claims about Gaetz became part of a larger investigation after Greenberg, who used to be friends with Gaetz and is now serving an 11-year prison sentence, made some serious allegations.
Back in May 2021, Greenberg struck a deal with investigators and admitted to several federal offenses, including sex trafficking the woman when she was still a minor and introducing her to other adult men who also engaged in sexual activities with her while she was underage.
According to the details from his plea agreement, the woman—who has chosen not to reveal her identity—met Greenberg online in 2017. They began meeting up at various hotels and homes throughout Florida’s Middle District where he reportedly introduced her to other adult men who paid for sex acts with her.
Court documents indicate that at that time, the minor misrepresented herself as being over 18 on the site where she met Greenberg. He later acknowledged he acted recklessly by ignoring the fact that she was underage and had opportunities to see that she was not an adult.
As part of their investigation, the House Ethics Committee interviewed several women who claimed they were at parties with Gaetz and were allegedly compensated by Greenberg.
Some of these women received subpoenas from the committee while others willingly cooperated. Additionally, Gaetz’s former girlfriend was also subpoenaed for testimony; sources say she participated in an interview earlier this year after previously giving evidence to a grand jury regarding the sex trafficking case.
The committee has gathered a sworn statement from Gaetz’s ex-girlfriend where she mentions him being present at a party back in July 2017 that involved drugs and included the woman whom Gaetz is accused of having sexual relations with when she was still a minor.
There have also been reports about another woman who testified that in July 2017—when she was 20—she attended a party in Florida alongside Gaetz and this same underage girl, where drugs like cocaine were present.
Greenberg has been cooperating fully as a key witness in this Justice Department investigation. While serving his sentence earlier this year at a federal prison in Florida, he provided written testimony to the House Ethics Committee as well.
Some witnesses even identified Venmo payments they reportedly received from Gaetz during their interviews.