Justice Department Refuses to Charge Rep. Matt Gaetz in Sex Trafficking Investigation

Washington. The Justice Department has officially decided not to indict Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida in connection with a sex trafficking investigation, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News, and professional federal prosecutors briefed witnesses of the decision in Wednesday.

The four-term congressman has been under investigation for several years to determine if he violated sex trafficking laws and obstructed justice in that investigation. Gaetz previously denied all wrongdoing and said he never paid for sex or had sex with an underage girl. CNN first reported that the department decided not to charge Gaetz.

Federal investigators were trying to determine if Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old girl. According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, the woman was introduced to Gaetz by Joel Greenberg, a former Florida County tax collector and Gaetz associate who pleaded guilty in May 2021 to six federal charges, including trafficking in a minor.

Investigators have also focused on Gaetz’s 2018 trip to the Bahamas as part of an investigation into whether he violated sex trafficking laws, multiple sources told CBS News in 2021. were paid for or illegally trafficked across national or international borders to have sex with him.

Last year, Gaetz’s ex-girlfriend was granted immunity in exchange for her testimony before a federal grand jury hearing evidence in the congressman’s investigation, according to a source familiar with the matter. She was being considered as a potential key witness with information related to allegations of sex trafficking and a separate charge of obstruction.

Gaetz, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, has become a thorn in the side of current House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as McCarthy vied for the speakership, leading a group of conservative Republicans who resisted the nomination until McCarthy agreed to several concessions.

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