ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz will not face charges in a years-long federal sex-trafficking investigation by the U.S. Justice Dept., according to reporting by CNN.
Gaetz’s office issued a statement confirming to News 6 that the congressman had been informed of the decision:
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“The Department of Justice has confirmed to Congressman Gaetz’s attorneys that their investigation has concluded and that he will not be charged with any crimes.”
Office of Congressman Matt Gaetz
Gaetz, a Republican who represents the western Florida panhandle, was believed to be under investigation as an extension of the investigation into former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg.
Greenberg had reportedly told investigators that Gaetz, who was a longtime friend, had given Greenberg money to pay for escorts, including one who was underage, at one time even bringing escorts to The Bahamas.
Greenberg pleaded guilty to several federal charges, including child sex trafficking and fraud and was sentenced to 11 years in prison in December.
Last September the Washington Post reported that career prosecutors for the Justice Dept. advised against bringing charges against Gaetz because of the credibility of two witnesses, Greenberg being one of them.
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Greenberg’s attorney, Fritz Scheller, tells News 6 he has not heard about this decision from Justice Dept officials.
In December, Scheller said he thought seven or eight men should be facing sex crimes charges and was unhappy it hadn’t happened yet.
“I think sometimes that the prosecution of somebody like Joel Greenberg gives us a sense of complacency, like everything is alright, that justice has been done,” Scheller said. “Really then, sometimes the more culpable escape. So it is a real false sense of security and complacency.”
However, Orlando defense attorney Mark O’Mara, who has handled high-profile cases like the trial of George Zimmerman and argued cases in federal court, told News 6 that prosecutors would not be able to take a case to court using Greenberg’s testimony alone.
“They also know they cannot solely rely on one witness, particularly if that witness is now a convicted felon,” O’Mara said.
“His credibility is horrific. Not only was he involved in almost everything you can think of… that’s all going to come out as an attack on his credibility with some future jury unless his words corroborate some other unimpeachable evidence,” O’Mara said.
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