The federal sex-trafficking investigation of Rep. Matt Gaetz appears to be over. Lawyers for the Republican congressman say they were told no charges will be brought after a yearslong investigation, CNN reports. "We have just spoken with the DOJ and have been informed that they have concluded their investigation into Congressman Gaetz and allegations related to sex trafficking and obstruction of justice and they have determined not to bring any charges against him," lawyers Marc Mukasey and Isabelle Kirshner said in a statement. Gaetz, whose district includes most of the Florida Panhandle, also issued a statement saying the investigation was over, reports the AP.
The investigation of Gaetz began in late 2020. Sources tell the AP that federal prosecutors were looking into whether Gaetz and his associate Joel Greenberg, a former Seminole County tax collector, paid underage girls or offered them gifts in exchange for sex. In September, prosecutors reportedly recommended to the Department of Justice that no charges be filed against Gaetz, partly due to credibility issues with witnesses, including a woman Gaetz was allegedly involved with when she was 17 years old. Gaetz has consistently denied wrongdoing. In 2021, Greenberg pleaded guilty to six charges, including sex trafficking of a minor, as part of a plea deal. In late 2022, he was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison. (More Matt Gaetz stories.)
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