Rep. Matt Gaetz also showed photos of nude women to Florida political allies, WaPo reports
- The Washington Post reported that Rep. Matt Gaetz showed photos of nude women to people in Florida politics.
- Former tax collector and ally Joel Greenberg reportedly introduced him to the women.
- Greenberg has been charged for federal sex trafficking of a child and Gaetz is being investigated for having sex with and trafficking a minor.
- See more stories on Insider’s business page.
Rep. Matt Gaetz reportedly showed photos and videos of nude women to people involved in Florida politics, according to the Washington Post.
The report follows news from the New York Times that the Justice Department has been investigating whether Gaetz broke federal sex trafficking laws and whether he engaged in an illegal sexual relationship with a 17-year-old minor.
The Times also revealed that Gaetz’ investigation was linked to an investigation into Greenberg and that the two men had paid women for sex at various Florida hotels. The Justice Department is reportedly looking into whether Gaetz used campaign cash for his actions.
Earlier in the week, CNN reported that Gaetz openly showed House colleagues photos and videos of nude women and bragged about his sex life.
On Friday, the Post reported that Gaetz reportedly engaged in the same behavior at parties with Greenberg and people involved in Florida politics.
One of Gaetz’s top aides resigned on Friday while Gaetz adamantly denied all allegations and refused to resign.
“I have never paid for sex. I have never had sex with an underage person as an adult,” Gaetz told the Post. “I have dated women in college and graduate school, and have boasted about how great they are across the board, as boyfriends do. At times women I have dated have joined me at campaign events.”
Greenberg, who has been federally charged in the sex trafficking of a minor, reportedly introduced Gaetz to women in Florida, according to people who heard Gaetz and Greenberg talk about the encounters.
According to the Post, Gaetz had sex with women that Greenberg introduced him to and then showed photos of the women to people in Florida. One video showed a naked woman using a hula hoop, a video that CNN alleged Gaetz also showed to some House colleagues.
The Post also reported that in 2018, while assisting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign, Gaetz would seek to schedule campaign events in a way that would, “end the night in a college town,” according to people familiar with the campaign. The sources told the Post that Gaetz sought to hang out with younger crowds.
“Matt was never shy about talking about his relationship to Joel and the access to women that Joel provided him,” a source told the Post. “What these videos implied was that there was something of a sexual nature going on with everyone.”
Gaetz is also alleged to have sought sexual encounters on websites like SeekingArrangements.com and is reported to have used drugs and given drugs to a woman during at least one of the experiences, according to the Times.
According to the Post, an anonymous complaint was submitted to former House Speaker Paul Ryan’s office in 2018 about Gaetz making a young female staffer uncomfortable. Ryan’s staffers reportedly had a conversation with Gaetz, but the issue was not looked into any further.
Source: Read Full Article