The witch-hunt against Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has ended. The Biden Department of Justice announced they will not bring charges against the conservative Florida congressman after a years-long sex trafficking probe.
The investigation into Gaetz began in late 2020 and was built on former friends and acquaintances looking to save their own skin. These were far from credible witnesses.
Investigators recommended against charges last September for this reason.
Now, Gaetz no longer has a cloud hanging over his head and can continue his good work for the American people unabated.
CNN reported:
The Justice Department has informed lawyers for at least one witness that it will not bring charges against Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz after a years-long federal sex-trafficking investigation.
The final decision was made by Department of Justice leadership after investigators recommended against charges last year.
“We have just spoken with the DOJ and have been informed that they have concluded their investigation into Congressman Gaetz and allegations related to sex trafficking and obstruction of justice and they have determined not to bring any charges against him,” Gaetz’s lawyers, Marc Mukasey and Isabelle Kirshner, said in a statement.
The DOJ’s formal decision not to charge Gaetz, who has been serving in Congress since 2017, marks the end of a long-running investigation into allegations that the congressman violated federal law by paying for sex, including with women who were younger than 18 years old.
Gaetz has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Prosecutors working on the case recommended against charging Gaetz in September, in part, because of questions over whether central witnesses in the investigation would be perceived as credible before a jury, CNN reported at the time.
The investigation into Gaetz began in late 2020 under then-Attorney General Bill Barr, but ramped up significantly after Gaetz’s close friend, Joel Greenberg, pleaded guilty to six federal crimes, including a sex-trafficking charge, and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Greenberg’s cooperation led investigators to look at Gaetz, along with other allies of Greenberg, for any alleged sex trafficking or obstruction of justice.
Two other people in Gaetz’s orbit also became key cooperators, including his ex-girlfriend, who worked on Capitol Hill and has been linked to Gaetz as far back as the summer of 2017, and a Florida radio host who began cooperating after pleading guilty in a separate bribery scheme.
Then, by late 2022, there were several signs that the Justice Department’s case had nearly ground to a halt. The most obvious indicator was that prosecutors finally agreed to schedule a sentencing date for Greenberg after months of delays while he continued to cooperate with the ongoing Gaetz probe.
Greenberg was sentenced to 11 years in prison in December.
