Matt Gaetz Accused in Sex Trafficking Lawsuit

Two women have filed a civil lawsuit accusing former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz of participating in an alleged sex trafficking operation that included a trip to the Bahamas. The civil case, filed Monday in federal court in Florida, also names Joel Greenberg, a former Seminole County tax collector, and Christopher Dorworth, a former Republican state lawmaker.

The 33-page filing accuses the men of using financial incentives, drugs, and a network of personal connections to facilitate sexual encounters with young women. The plaintiffs, identified in court documents as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, allege they were approached by Greenberg when they were struggling financially. They claim Greenberg recruited them through SeekingArrangement.com, a website associated with arrangements between wealthy individuals and younger partners.

According to the complaint, Greenberg then put the women in contact with Gaetz, Dorworth, and other men. The alleged encounters took place at private homes and parties, where the women claim drugs were involved. Jane Doe 1 alleges she was paid more than $6,000, while Jane Doe 2 claims she received over $4,000. Descriptions attached to some transactions reportedly included phrases such as "Love you 'Being my friend,'" and "car deductible."

Jane Doe 1 claims she witnessed Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old girl, referred to in the lawsuit as "Victim A." This teenager is not a plaintiff in the current case.

Gaetz has denied the allegations, stating, "I look forward to taking the plaintiffs' depositions because much of the conduct alleged against me is false." He also commented, "The lawsuit relies almost exclusively on a Congressional Committee report that didn't allow me to confront my accusers. Now I will finally have that chance." Gaetz shared a photo on social media of three women in the Bahamas, captioned "Bahamas, beers and babes is all you ever need," with his own caption suggesting the women in the lawsuit might be pictured. The attorney for the plaintiffs, Spencer Kuvin, neither confirmed nor denied if the women in the photo were the plaintiffs, but called Gaetz's actions "disgusting" and "further abuse."

The lawsuit details that the Bahamas, New York City, Miami, Las Vegas, and the Florida Keys are among the alleged destinations for these encounters. The women argue that a significant age gap between them and Gaetz was exploited to prevent them from coming forward. Gaetz was reportedly 15 years older than the first plaintiff and 13 years older than the second.

The filing also alleges that Greenberg and Dorworth helped shield Gaetz from scrutiny. The men are accused of arranging or paying for travel involving the plaintiffs, other alleged victims, and prominent political figures. Greenberg, who is serving an 11-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to multiple offenses, including sex trafficking a minor, is also accused of using money from various transactions to pay women for commercial sex acts.

The plaintiffs are pursuing claims against Greenberg Dental Associates LLC and other companies linked to Greenberg's family. The lawsuit asserts that more than 150 transactions, totaling over $70,000, occurred between December 2016 and December 2018. Some of these transactions were allegedly charged to an American Express card belonging to the tax collector's office, with expense descriptions including "school" and "ice cream."

The lawsuit references findings from a separate House Ethics Committee investigation into Gaetz's conduct while in Congress.