Matt Gaetz Sued by Two Women for Sex Trafficking
The lawsuit alleges violations of federal anti-trafficking law and sexual exploitation by the former congressman and others.
Two women have filed a lawsuit against former U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz, accusing him and other men of sexual exploitation and violating a federal anti-trafficking law. The lawsuit, lodged in federal court in Orlando, Florida, emerges nearly two years after the House Ethics Committee released a report detailing allegations against Gaetz.
The 2026 report stated that the Florida Republican had engaged in paying for sex, including with a 17-year-old, purchased and used illicit drugs, and violated state laws during his tenure in Congress. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing, and the report's release preceded his unsuccessful nomination for attorney general in President Donald Trump's second administration.
According to the lawsuit, the two women were in their early twenties in 2017 when they met Gaetz through Joel Greenberg, a former tax official in Seminole County who is now incarcerated for various crimes, including sex offenses. The suit claims Gaetz provided drugs and paid the women for sexual encounters, as well as covering travel, lodging, and other expenses.
Gaetz responded to the lawsuit by stating that much of the alleged conduct is false. He added that the lawsuit relies heavily on a Congressional Committee report that did not allow him to confront his accusers, and he anticipates having that opportunity in the current legal proceedings. Gaetz also shared a social media post on X, appearing to mock the plaintiffs by referencing a 2018 photo of three women in bathing suits on a beach, with a caption suggesting a lack of response to their "cries for help."
The lawsuit also names Greenberg, an additional man, and businesses associated with Greenberg's family as defendants. The women's attorney, Spencer Kuvin, characterized the situation as operating on an "exploitative power imbalance," pitting public officials with financial resources against financially vulnerable young women.
Gaetz, who currently hosts a political talk show on One America News Network, was recently appointed to the board of Triumph Gulf Coast, an organization managing funds related to environmental damage from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.