Swept into office the same time as former President Donald Trump, 38-year-old Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fl..) finds himself in the same place a former New York Gov. Ellio Spitzxer, who was forced to resign his job March 17, 2008 in a sex scandal soliciting high-priced call girls. While the facts behind Gaetz’s sex scandal are murky, the two-term Pan Handle Congressman has been accused of sex trafficking with 17-year-old girl. FBI agents are busy interviewing underage minors for possible involvement with Gaetz at sex orgies, where the 38-year-old allegedly took ecstacy while engaging sex acts. Like Spitzer twelve years ago, the FBI has receipts from Internet cash payment services Cash App and Apple Pay used to pay young women. Gaetz apparently recruited women online in 2019 and 2020 with former Florida tax collector Joel Greenberg, both allegedly met women online and paid for sex.
Gaetz and Greenberg reportedly used ATMs for cash payments for sex, including taking the date-rape drug ecstacy while completing sex acts with various women. FBI officials are investigating whether Gaetz traveled across state lines with a 17-year-old female with whom he paid for sex. Greenberg was already charged in Aug. 2020 with sex trafficking with the same 17-year-old girl, plus additional charges for scamming pandemic aid, bribery, stalking, etc. As the FBI collected more witness testimony against Gaetz, the two-term conservative congressman denies all the allegations. “Matt Gaetz has never paid for sex,” Gaetz’s office wrote. “Matt Gaetz refuses all the disgusting allegations completely. Matt Gates has never ever been on any such websites whatsoever. Matt gates cherishes the relationships in his past and looks forward to marry the love of h is life.”
Gaetz’s denials were similar to Spitzer’s before the FBI presented him with incontrovertible evidence that he, in fact, paid for prostitution across state lines. As the investigation proceeds, Gaetz will find it more difficult to maintain denial, especially when more physical evidence and witness testimony reinforce the FBI case. Whether dating a 17-year-old is illegal or not, the issue for Gaetz isn’t about having an underage girlfriend but sex trafficking with his buddy Greenberg, who’s been already charged by the FBI. Gates reportedly showed nude pictures and videos of women he fooled around with to his House colleagues, showing, if true, that the 38-year-old has a few screws loose. Showing colleagues pics of sexual escapades shows that Gaetz isn’t playing with a full deck. That doesn’t sound that much different that former Rep. Anthony Wiener (D-N.Y.) who resigned in disgrace June 21, 2011.
Wiener was once married to former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s special assistant Huma Abedin, when it came out he shared pics of his private parts with an underage minor. Whatever shakes out of the sordid tale, Gaetz has been damaged politically, certainly no longer one of the GOP’s rising stars. Gaetz’s House colleagues describe “his love of alcohol and illegal drugs, as well as his proclivity for younger women.” Sex trafficking allegations against Gaetz make Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D-N.Y.) sexual abuse allegations look tame. Like others that have gone down to sexual scandals, they all deny the charges to the bitter end. Gaetz told Fox News Tucker Carlson March 30 that the Department of Justice tried to extort $25 million from his family for information leading to the whereabouts of former DEA and FBI Agent Robert Levinson, who’s been MIA in Iran since 2007
Gaetz learned well from former President Donald Trump to blame baseless allegations on a political witch-hunt or hoax. In Trump’s case, he really was subject of a political witch-hunt or hoax when it came to his alleged ties to Russia. When it comes to Gates, he did spend time fooling around to Greenberg who’s currently under indictment for a bevy of charges, including sex trafficking. Gates has less plausible deniability after showing pictures or videos of his sex escapades with members of Congress. “I know I have many enemies and few friends,” Gaetz said about his relations with House members. “My support generally lies outside of Washington, D.C., and I wouldn‘t have it any other way,” Gaetz said, denying any of the sex-trafficking allegations. Gaetz’s was a close buddy or so-called “wing man” for Greenberg while he pursed illegal sexual activity with under-aged girls.
Gaetz has a big problem blaming his sex trafficking allegations on a plot against him by the Department of Justice, when his relationship with Greenberg was known to many people in Florida politics. Whether or not Gaetz had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old, that’s an age generally too old for statuary rape. When it comes to sex trafficking or paying for sex that’s an entirely different story. If the FBI has records of payments for sex for Gaetz, he’ll wind up like Spitzer, unable to beat the charges without a plea bargain that will likely end his political career. With his friend Joel Greenberg facing sex trafficking charges, he’s probably cooperating with the FBI to implicate Gaetz in some kind of plea bargain. Whatever happens to Gaetz, it can’t help his reelection chances in 2022. When it comes to saying his “support lies outside Washington,” Gaetz could get his wish sooner than he thinks.
