GAETZ’S GHOST

Feds Scrutinizing Whether Rep. Matt Gaetz Talked About Running Sham Candidate in Florida: Report

Investigators are scrutinizing whether Gaetz and a well-connected lobbyist discussed using a third-party candidate to siphon votes from an ally’s opponent.

Federal investigators are probing Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) for yet another reason: an alleged conversation between the Florida Republican and a well-connected lobbyist, Chris Dorworth, about running a sham third-party candidate in a 2020 race for the Florida State Senate so as to draw votes from the opponent of a Gaetz ally, The New York Times reports. A third-party candidate, Jestine Ianotti, did run in the race, but her final vote tally did not exceed the difference between the two others. Jason Brodeur, a political ally of Gaetz, won the race. That piece of the inquiry into Gaetz has only just begun, according to the Times. Dorworth said he did not remember the exchange and had never met Ianotti. Gaetz is under federal investigation for sex trafficking over an alleged relationship with a 17-year-old and alleged payments to women for sex. He has denied the allegations.