Gaetz says he will not face charges in sex trafficking case
WASHINGTON — Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican firebrand known for his strong support of former President Donald Trump, said Wednesday that the Justice Department has ended a sex trafficking case with no charges against him.
The conservative, who represents much of the Florida Panhandle, issued a statement through his congressional office that the long-running investigation was over. Gaetz had insisted throughout that he was innocent of any wrongdoing.
“The Department of Justice has confirmed to Congressman Gaetz’s attorneys that their investigation has concluded and that he will not be charged with any crimes,” the statement said.
The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The development was first reported by CNN.
While he is a relatively junior member of Congress, Gaetz has gained national attention through his frequent cable news appearances in recent years in which he offered an unvarnished defense of Trump. But few Republicans had rushed to support him as the investigation unfolded and shadowed his career, and some treated him like a pariah.
In January, Gaetz again ran afoul of his fellow Republicans when he was among a group of hard-right conservatives who opposed GOP leader Kevin Mccarthy’s bid for the House speakership and who forced Mccarthy to a record 15 ballots.
Federal prosecutors were investigating whether Gaetz and onetime political ally Joel Greenberg paid underage girls and escorts or offered them gifts in exchange for sex, according to two people familiar with the case who were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Greenberg, who served as the tax collector in Florida’s Seminole County, admitted as part of a plea deal that he paid women and an underage girl to have sex with him and other men. The men were not identified in court documents when he pleaded guilty. Greenberg was sentenced in late 2022 to 11 years in federal prison for a variety of crimes.