Report: Gaetz Paid 17-Year-Old Homeless Girl For Sex

Former Representative Matt Gaetz denied allegations that he had sex with a 17-year-old girl after newly unsealed court records and testimony detailed her account and the vulnerable circumstances that led her into contact with the Florida Republican.

The report comes after a House Ethics Committee report released last year found "substantial evidence" that Gaetz allegedly "regularly paid women for engaging in sexual activity with him," "engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl" in 2017, used or possessed illegal drugs, and accepted gifts beyond what is "permissible."

Gaetz has long denied any wrongdoing. He withdrew his nomination to serve as President Donald Trump's attorney general last year amid scrutiny about the committee's investigation and questions about whether he would be able to garner enough support from Republican senators in the confirmation process. He has never been charged with any crime.

The girl, now an adult, was described in the documents, reported Thursday by The New York Times, as a homeless high school junior who met Gaetz in 2017 through associates involved in a broader sex-trafficking investigation. A House Ethics Committee report later concluded there was substantial evidence Gaetz violated Florida’s statutory rape laws, even though the Justice Department declined to bring charges.

Gaetz told The Times via text on Thursday that her account was “fiction,” insisting he never had sex with her and accusing her of attempting to extort him.

“I never had sex with this person. This person threatened me with a lawsuit if I didn’t pay her $2.3 million dollars. She never sued me because her story is fiction," Gaetz said.

The Times confirmed biographical information about the girl with her lawyer, Laura B. Wolf, after a Florida judge unsealed court documents from a civil case that provided some details about her background. The girl has not been publicly identified.

Wolf told the Times that her client's circumstances "were revealed outside of her control," but that she hopes "it helps for the public to see a fuller and more human picture of her than the press has reported on to date."

The girl served as a witness in a Justice Department investigation into Gaetz that did not yield any charges.

Wolf told the Times that her client met Gaetz in December 2016, when she was a junior in high school. She, at times, lived in a homeless shelter with one of her parents and worked at McDonald's to earn extra money. She also turned to a website that advertised itself as a "sugar dating" website where she allegedly met Joel Greenberg, a friend of Gaetz, according to the report.

Greenberg's lawyer, Fritz Scheller, said the girl was a "victim that embodied unwavering strength and courage," the Times reported.

Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing. After the ethics committee released its report, Gaetz wrote on social media that those conducting the investigation "hated" him and that he never had a chance to confront his accusers.

"I've never been charged. I've never been sued," he said.

The 42-page report laid out allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use, finding that Gaetz "regularly paid" women to engage in sexual conduct with him from 2017 to 2020. The report alleged that Gaetz had sex with the girl at a house party in 2017.

It stated: "Victim A recalled receiving $400 in cash from Representative Gaetz that evening, which she understood to be payment for sex. Victim A said she did not inform Representative Gaetz that she was under 18 at the time, nor did he ask her age."

Attorney Laura B. Wolf told The New York Times: "Power imbalances can be age, but they can also be financial. My client had little economic security, which allowed for financial leverage over her.”

Political commentator Meghan McCain wrote on X: "There is pure evil in this world. A 17 year old homeless girl working at McDonalds trying to save up money for braces and a perverted sitting member of Congress took advantage of a vulnerable child and broke the law - and no one seems to care that much."

Senator Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat, wrote on X: "Remember when Trump tried to make this guy Attorney General?"