Matt Gaetz's political career is imploding in real time faster than social media can process it. First, on Tuesday, news broke about an open investigation into whether Gaetz paid at least one underage girl to cross state lines to have sex with him, which would constitute child sex trafficking, a federal crime. Hours later, he went on TV to give a disastrous interview on Tucker Carlson's show where he clearly tried to give a carefully worded explanation for the allegations as well as mentioned the possibility of him being in photographs with underage prostitutes. Oh, and he said was being blackmailed for $25 million dollars.
Well, there is a 3rd entry in this story. The New York Times is reporting that they have seen evidence - aka receipts - that show Gaetz used cash apps to send money to women in. The women were allegedly "recruited online for sex and received cash payments."
Whoo doggie.
This all links back to Joel Greenberg, the former tax collector from Seminole County, who is in a heap of trouble himself. He is good friends with Matt Gaetz, of course. Investigators believe that Greenberg "met the women through websites that connect people who go on dates in exchange for gifts, fine dining, travel and allowances" and that he introduced Gaetz to the women. One of the women allegedly had sex with BOTH Gaetz and Greenberg and an "unidentified associate of theirs in Florida Republican politics."
Gaetz is, of course, denying these new allegations.
The New York Times has "reviewed receipts from Cash App, a mobile payments app, and Apple Pay that show payments from Mr. Gaetz and Mr. Greenberg to one of the women, and a payment from Mr. Greenberg to a second woman. The women told their friends that the payments were for sex with the two men, according to two people familiar with the conversations."
The encounters allegedly took place in 2019 and 2020 and Gaetz and Greenberg reportedly "instructed the women to meet at certain times and places, often at hotels around Florida, and would tell them the amount of money they were willing to pay." What about drugs? Well, there were ALSO drugs! Men and women allegedly took ecstasy before having sex. Matt Gaetz was one of the drug takers, reportedly.
But like they say in late night infomercials - THERE'S MORE! Gaetz reportedly asked the women to "help find others who might be interested in having sex with him and his friends." And if asked about their relationships, Gaetz "told the women to say that he had paid for hotel rooms and dinners as part of their dates." This is almost verbatim what he told Tucker Carlson on Tuesday night: "Providing for flights and hotel rooms for people that you are dating who are of legal age is not a crime" were his EXACT WORDS, which is pretty much what he told the escorts/prostitutes to say!
The FBI has reportedly talked to *multiple women* involved in the encounters. The DOJ is also investigating whether Gaetz, Greenberg and other men had sex with the 17-year old who is part of the initial child sex trafficking investigation.
Are you confused yet? We need to make a venn diagram to keep track of the allegations against Matt Gaetz if another story drops.
