Key facts
- Two women filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday accusing Matt Gaetz and two others of sex trafficking.
- The lawsuit alleges the misconduct occurred between 2017 and January 2019.
- Joel Micah Greenberg, a co-defendant, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a child and other offenses in 2021.
Two women have filed a federal lawsuit in Orlando, Florida, accusing former Republican Representative Matt Gaetz and two other men, including Joel Micah Greenberg, of participating in a sex trafficking scheme. The lawsuit alleges that between 2017 and January 2019, the defendants used their public office, power, and wealth to exploit the plaintiffs, who were in their early 20s and recent high school graduates at the time. Greenberg, a close associate of Gaetz, has already pleaded guilty to federal offenses including sex trafficking of a child and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Gaetz has denied the allegations, stating that much of the conduct alleged against him is false and that he looks forward to deposing the plaintiffs. The lawsuit mirrors allegations previously investigated by the House Ethics Committee, which found Gaetz had sex with a minor, solicited prostitutes, and used illegal drugs. Gaetz resigned from Congress in November 2024 after being nominated for attorney general by Donald Trump, later withdrawing his name amid scrutiny.