Former Rep. Matt Gaetz Accused of Sex Trafficking in Federal Lawsuit
publishers 38articles 42first reported 15 Oct, 15:25 UTCdeveloping since 15 Oct · 10 editions
Former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz and two other men have been accused in a federal civil lawsuit of sex trafficking and sexually exploiting two young women in Florida.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, names Gaetz, former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg and former Florida state Rep. Christopher Dorworth as defendants. The plaintiffs, identified as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, allege that the men coordinated recruitment, payments, drugs and travel to obtain commercial sex acts from them between 2017 and January 2019.
According to the lawsuit, the women were 20 and 22 when they met Gaetz in 2017 and lacked stable incomes. They allege Greenberg recruited women through the website then known as SeekingArrangement and introduced them to a group that included Gaetz and Dorworth. The suit claims the plaintiffs received drugs at gatherings and were taken on trips to locations including Miami, Las Vegas, the Florida Keys and New York City.
Gaetz denied the allegations, saying much of the conduct alleged against him was false. He said the lawsuit relies largely on a House committee report and that depositions would give him an opportunity to confront his accusers.
Greenberg previously pleaded guilty to six federal offenses, including sex trafficking of a minor, and is serving an 11-year prison sentence. Gaetz resigned from Congress in November 2024 and later withdrew as President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general amid scrutiny of sexual-misconduct allegations.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 2 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 6 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
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- Source articles
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- Given to the writer
- 8, 2 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 6 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
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