Report: Sex-Trafficking Charges Against Matt Gaetz Dropped

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Facts

  • According to a source familiar with the matter, after a multi-year probe into House Representative Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), US Dept. of Justice (DOJ) officials have said they will not seek sex trafficking charges against the Florida Republican.1
  • The source told CNN that senior officials reached out to lawyers for multiple witnesses on Wednesday to inform them of the decision to not prosecute Gaetz. Investigators recommended against charges last year following allegations that Gaetz violated federal law by paying for sex, including with women younger than 18.2
  • A lawyer representing the former minor at the center of the investigation also told ABC News that they were informed of the decision this Wednesday, calling the investigation a 'difficult experience' for his client.3
  • Gaetz has previously acknowledged the investigation, claiming to have cooperated with federal investigators and denying the accusations. Gaetz's office issued a brief statement acknowledging the decision, while the DOJ has not currently commented.4
  • The investigation began under the Trump administration, with Gaetz coming under greater scrutiny after former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg, a friend of Gaetz, pled guilty in May 2021 to charges of child sex trafficking and identity theft, among others. Greenberg was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment on Dec. 1, 2022.5

Sources: 1Independent, 2CNN, 3Abc news, 4USA Today and 5National Review.

Narratives

  • Republican narrative, as provided by 100percentfedup.com. This decision is being rightly celebrated by Republicans, deservedly condemning the DOJ for damaging Gaetz's reputation. This was a failed smear campaign through a bogus investigation. The decision is an embarrassment for the activists within the deep state of the Democratic Party establishment, the US government, and mainstream media who attempted to tear Gaetz down.
  • Democratic narrative, as provided by AlterNet. Gaetz's associate Greenberg was a much easier case for the DOJ to handle than the high-profile matter of a House Republican. While equal under the law, it is harder in reality to prosecute a member of Congress that has allied himself so closely with Donald Trump. For the DOJ to potentially bring and lose a case against Gaetz would have enormous consequences, seemingly a risk the Justice Department is unwilling to take.