Jacob Ogles
Prosecutors could bring criminal charges against U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz as soon as July. ABC News reports that sources said that’s when prosecutors will decide whether to bring charges against the embattled Congressman.
Talk of an indictment for the Fort Walton Beach Republican has dragged on for months. Gaetz has been a target of an investigation into whether he was sex trafficking a 17-year-old girl. The accusation stems from a criminal investigation into former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg, who in May pleaded guilty in federal court in Orlando to sex trafficking of a child and five counts involving fraud.
ABC News reports that since that point Greenberg has cooperated with investigators, and he is prepared to testify and provide evidence against Gaetz and others involved in potential criminal activity.
The investigation as it pertains to Gaetz stepped up in recent weeks, according to the report, as investigators spoke with women Greenberg introduced to Gaetz.
The Greenberg investigation revealed the use of so-called “sugar daddy” apps used to connect clients with women who provide sex in exchange for lavish gifts. Venmo records reported by The Daily Beast showed Gaetz in 2018 sent money to Greenberg, who then sent money to women in the same amount, marking the payments sometimes with labels like “school” or “tuition.”
The latest report includes a revelation of Snapchat messages, which ABC says include Gaetz associate Joe Ellicott encouraging a woman to delay sharing information with investigators. The woman reportedly had concerns she knew another female was under the age of 18 when she had sex with Gaetz and Greenberg.
“She needs to delay them, hold them off and just not answer them,” Ellicott said in a message. Snapchat automatically deletes communications, but a screenshot of the message was shared with ABC.
Gaetz has criticized the investigation as a “partisan smear.” He has also in the past called Greenberg’s credibility into question, noting the federal investigation of his former friend started when Greenberg made apparently false accusations of sexual misconduct against a political opponent.
ABC reports it’s not just sex-for-money schemes under investigation. Federal officials also have an interest in contracts awarded through Greenberg’s office that auditors considered “waste” and “unnecessary.” That includes a contract that spanned more than three years with KI Consulting.
14 comments
zhombre
June 18, 2021 at 11:04 am
Or not.
Jack Murphy
June 18, 2021 at 1:38 pm
We are supposed to believe ABC News an un-named person who might be a witness give me a break problem with your Article is its all supposition and maybe or could be why even waste our time with nonsense like this. Its just another hit piece by a democrat follower shame on you Mr Ogles shame on you….political analyst my aching southern region…why not write about something logical like the mis-use of the state fire fee being used to cover wasteful spending by cities in Florida ours started at $100 now its passing $375 a year an add to that charging a additional fee for using the Fire Dept Ambulance Service by residents of the city to the tune of $845 dollars thats 3 times we paid for the same service. WHEN DOES THIS WASTEFULL TAXATION END???? WE THE RESIDENTS PAY 3 TIMES FOR THE FIRE DEPT YET the Fire Dept THEY SAY THEY GET NONE OF THE MONEY? WONDER WHERE IT GOES…
Martha
June 18, 2021 at 6:28 pm
What? You have to actually pay $375 a year for essential services? That’s almost $32 a month! And when you call an ambulance, you have to pay a whole $845 more for the service? Wow, how can you tolerate this terrible existence? I think you should move far, far away, to a land where everything is free.
Ron
June 18, 2021 at 11:10 pm
Wow. Jack Murphy thinks being angry and typing all caps about his money makes him right. What a pathetically flaccid, thumb-shaped and selfish opinion.
If you think people should be this selfish and self-absorbed, why do you think anyone else wants to hear you whine about your problems?
jesse
June 18, 2021 at 2:51 pm
Matt Gaetz is a privileged frat boy that never grew up. Where there is smoke there is fire. I’m expecting these accusations to stick and that he will be prosecuted. He is a disgrace to the US Congress and that’s damn hard to do these days. When FOX drops an idiot like Gaetz, it’s the beginning of the End. I hope he does Time.
David
June 19, 2021 at 12:12 pm
I hope he does time too . Perhaps he will learn to be a sugar baby when incarcerated.
bill cox
June 18, 2021 at 6:16 pm
Matt Gaetz will look great in orange jump suit with DOC on the back * dept of corrections..
martha
June 18, 2021 at 6:23 pm
Regardless of what happens with Matt Gaetz, I am outraged that Greenberg could commit so many crimes and yet the county and state did NOTHING to rein him in. Whistleblowers were coming forward, newspapers were publishing investigative reports, and yet Greenberg was utterly unimpeded. That’s corruption no matter what your politics, and I have yet to hear ANY explanation or promise to do better from any of our watchdogs. Why did it take the feds coming in before anything was done? This is just shameful.
Josey
June 19, 2021 at 6:58 am
Seeing so many evertrumper subgeniuses post here is refreshing. I only hope that they can move beyond being some mindless cowsin a herd and enjoy some herd immunity. So long as they believe nonsense about vaccines (eg. “They’re magnetic. See the was my key sticks to my face.”) they’ll never be able to enjoy herd immunity.
Of course there are ways we can help. Spitting and coughing on them so they can be assured a decent viral load. I would hate to see Darwinism prevail and they die out for want of intelligence.
zhombre
June 19, 2021 at 12:32 pm
Jeez, aren’t you a nasty effin’ bioche, tapping out scurrilous drivel on the keyboard and wanting people dead. Have a nice Two Minute Hate.
Josey
June 19, 2021 at 1:07 pm
Another low IQ evertrumper. Lots of meaningless jabber with no information content.
zhombre
June 19, 2021 at 1:12 pm
I actually feel that way about your shit. There’s not one dribble of information in your post but there is a lot of attitudem invective and hostility. You should seek therapy. Or not. Probably a waste of time for the congenital bioche.
sicklecelarmenia
June 24, 2021 at 2:28 pm
Matt Gaetz is a fine man, even though he probably did all of those things. Isn’t that what life is all about? Make America Great Again!
Eric
June 24, 2021 at 3:14 pm
Conservatives are going down. And it gets me so hard
Comments are closed.