WASHINGTON — A Justice Division investigation into Consultant Matt Gaetz and an indicted Florida politician is specializing in their involvement wi
WASHINGTON — A Justice Division investigation into Consultant Matt Gaetz and an indicted Florida politician is specializing in their involvement with a number of girls who had been recruited on-line for intercourse and obtained money funds, in keeping with individuals near the investigation and textual content messages and cost receipts reviewed by The New York Instances.
Investigators imagine Joel Greenberg, the previous tax collector in Seminole County, Fla., who was indicted final yr on a federal intercourse trafficking cost and different crimes, initially met the ladies by means of web sites that join individuals who go on dates in trade for items, superb eating, journey and allowances, in keeping with three individuals with information of the encounters. Mr. Greenberg launched the ladies to Mr. Gaetz, who additionally had intercourse with them, the individuals stated.
One of many girls who had intercourse with each males additionally agreed to have intercourse with an unidentified affiliate of theirs in Florida Republican politics, in keeping with an individual aware of the association. Mr. Greenberg had initially contacted her on-line and launched her to Mr. Gaetz, the individual stated.
Mr. Gaetz denied ever paying a lady for intercourse.
The Justice Division inquiry can also be analyzing whether or not Mr. Gaetz had intercourse with a 17-year-old lady and whether or not she obtained something of fabric worth, in keeping with 4 individuals aware of the investigation. The intercourse trafficking rely towards Mr. Greenberg concerned the identical lady, in keeping with two individuals briefed on the investigation.
The authorities have additionally investigated whether or not different males related to Mr. Gaetz and Mr. Greenberg had intercourse with the 17-year-old, two of the individuals stated.
Mr. Gaetz, 38, was elected to Congress in 2016 and have become one in all President Donald J. Trump’s most outspoken advocates.
The Instances has reviewed receipts from Money App, a cell funds app, and Apple Pay that present funds from Mr. Gaetz and Mr. Greenberg to one of many girls, and a cost from Mr. Greenberg to a second lady. The ladies informed their pals that the funds had been for intercourse with the 2 males, in keeping with two individuals aware of the conversations.
In encounters throughout 2019 and 2020, Mr. Gaetz and Mr. Greenberg instructed the ladies to satisfy at sure occasions and locations, usually at lodges round Florida, and would inform them the amount of cash they had been keen to pay, in keeping with the messages and interviews.
One individual stated that the boys additionally paid in money, typically withdrawn from a resort ATM.
A number of the women and men took ecstasy, an unlawful hallucinogenic drug, earlier than having intercourse, together with Mr. Gaetz, two individuals aware of the encounters stated.
In some instances, Mr. Gaetz requested girls to assist discover others who may be excited about having intercourse with him and his pals, in keeping with two individuals aware of these conversations. Ought to anybody inquire about their relationships, one individual stated, Mr. Gaetz informed the ladies to say that he had paid for resort rooms and dinners as a part of their dates.
The F.B.I. has questioned a number of girls concerned within the encounters, together with as just lately as January, to determine particulars of their relationships with Mr. Gaetz and his pals, in keeping with textual content messages and two individuals aware of the interviews.
No costs have been introduced towards Mr. Gaetz, and the extent of his prison publicity is unclear. Mr. Gaetz’s workplace issued a press release on Thursday evening in a response to a request for remark.
“Matt Gaetz has by no means paid for intercourse,” the assertion stated. “Matt Gaetz refutes all of the disgusting allegations utterly. Matt Gaetz has by no means ever been on any such web sites in anyway. Matt Gaetz cherishes the relationships in his previous and appears ahead to marrying the love of his life.”
A lawyer for Mr. Greenberg, Fritz Scheller, declined to remark, as did a Justice Division spokesman.
It’s not unlawful to supply adults with free resort stays, meals and different items, but when prosecutors assume they will show that the funds to the ladies had been for intercourse, they might accuse Mr. Gaetz of trafficking the ladies underneath “pressure, fraud or coercion.” For instance, prosecutors have filed trafficking costs towards individuals suspected of offering medicine in trade for intercourse as a result of feeding one other individual’s drug behavior may very well be seen as a type of coercion.
It’s also a violation of federal baby intercourse trafficking regulation to supply somebody underneath 18 with something of worth in trade for intercourse, which might embrace meals, lodges, medicine, alcohol or cigarettes. A conviction carries a 10-year necessary minimal jail sentence.
The investigation stems from the Justice Division’s persevering with inquiry into Mr. Greenberg, who doubtlessly faces many years in jail on three dozen costs. The U.S. lawyer’s workplace in Central Florida initially secured an indictment towards Mr. Greenberg in June, alleging that he had stalked a political rival and had used his elected workplace to create pretend identification playing cards.
Through the investigation, the authorities found proof that prompted them to broaden it, and Mr. Greenberg was indicted in August on the intercourse trafficking cost.
One of many websites the boys met girls by means of was referred to as Looking for Association, which describes itself as a spot the place rich individuals discover engaging companions and pamper them “with superb dinners, unique journeys and allowances.” The location’s founder has stated it has 20 million members worldwide. The F.B.I. talked about the web site in a dialog with at the least one potential witness, in keeping with an individual aware of the dialog.
Mr. Greenberg was indicted this week on extra costs, accusing him of submitting false claims to obtain pandemic aid assist from the federal government and making an attempt to bribe a authorities official. The authorities stated Mr. Greenberg undertook these efforts after he was initially indicted final summer season.
Mr. Greenberg, who has pleaded not responsible to the sooner costs, is scheduled to go on trial in June. He was despatched to jail in March for violating the phrases of his bail.
Mr. Gaetz stated this week that his legal professionals had been in contact with the Justice Division and that he was the topic, not the goal, of an investigation. Topics of investigations are sometimes witnesses or individuals who may need info that would assist the federal government pursue its targets. However it is not uncommon for that designation to shift over the course of an investigation.
“I solely know that it has to do with girls,” Mr. Gaetz stated. “I’ve a suspicion that somebody is making an attempt to recategorize my generosity to ex-girlfriends as one thing extra untoward.”
Mr. Gaetz, a lawyer, was first elected to the Home representing the Florida Panhandle at age 34. The son of a former president of the Florida State Senate, Mr. Gaetz attended Florida State College and William & Mary Legislation Faculty earlier than serving within the Florida State Legislature.
Mr. Gaetz has sought to divert consideration from the Justice Division investigation by claiming that he and his father had been the targets of an extortion plot by two males making an attempt to safe funding for a separate enterprise.
The lads — Robert Kent, a former Air Pressure intelligence officer who runs a consulting enterprise, and Stephen Alford, an actual property developer who has been convicted of fraud — approached Mr. Gaetz’s father, Don Gaetz, about funding their efforts to find Robert A. Levinson, an American hostage held in Iran. They prompt to Don Gaetz that Mr. Levinson’s profitable return may by some means be used to safe a pardon for Matt Gaetz if he had been charged with federal crimes, in keeping with a replica of their proposal offered to The Instances.
Quickly after, Don Gaetz employed a lawyer and contacted the F.B.I. Matt Gaetz stated his father wore a wire and taped a gathering and a phone dialog with Mr. Alford. An electronic mail trade between Don Gaetz’s lawyer and the Justice Division offered to The Instances seems to substantiate he was typically cooperating with the F.B.I. because it seemed into his claims.
Mr. Kent denied the Gaetzes’ assertions. He stated he had heard rumors that Matt Gaetz may be underneath investigation and talked about them solely to sweeten his proposal. “I informed him I’m not making an attempt to extort, but when this had been true, he may be excited about doing one thing good,” Mr. Kent stated in an interview.
Final yr, the Trump administration notified the household of Mr. Levinson, a former F.B.I. agent, that he had died whereas in captivity in Iran, the place he disappeared in 2007 whereas on an unauthorized mission for the C.I.A.
However some individuals concerned with the Levinson case continued to imagine that he may nonetheless be alive, together with Mr. Kent.
He was shocked when he heard that Matt Gaetz had sought to tie the Justice Division investigation to an extortion plot associated to the Levinson case.
“He threw Levinson and all the Levinson household underneath the bus,” Mr. Kent stated. “I can’t think about what these poor individuals have been by means of. This man, to divert consideration from himself, has raked up the eye to the household.”
Don Gaetz additionally taped a telephone name and a gathering with David McGee, a Levinson household lawyer, the place they mentioned the rescue proposal. In an interview, Mr. McGee denied any involvement and prompt Matt Gaetz was conflating the matter inappropriately together with his personal potential prison legal responsibility.
“He’s making an attempt to distract consideration from a pending tidal wave that’s about to sink his ship,” Mr. McGee stated.
Adam Goldman, Nicholas Fandos and Barry Meier contributed reporting.