Gaetz’s Indicted Pal Has Been Dishing to Feds About Him for Months: Report
LOOSE LIPS?
Joel Greenberg, the former Florida tax official whose sex trafficking case is said to have sparked a federal investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), has been spilling information to investigators about Gaetz’s dealings since last year, according to The New York Times. Two sources cited by the Times late Tuesday said Greenberg has already provided federal investigators with information about cash-for-sex schemes that he and the Florida congressman were allegedly involved in with numerous women. Investigators are now probing those alleged schemes, particularly with regard to a 17-year-old girl with whom Gaetz is accused of having sexual relations.
A lawyer for Greenberg, who faces 33 federal charges, including bribery, identity theft, and sex trafficking of a minor, said last week that the former tax collector would likely plead guilty, signaling that he may be cooperating with investigators behind closed doors. The Times now reports that he has already met with investigators “several times.” Gaetz, who is on the Justice Department’s radar over suspicions that he may have violated sex trafficking laws, has denied wrongdoing and portrayed himself as the victim of a smear campaign. But he began facing calls to step down last week after The Daily Beast reported he’d sent Venmo payments to Greenberg in the amount of $900, and Greenberg quickly sent those funds to three young women.