The Gaetzgate sex trafficking case just got a lot worse for Matt Gaetz. Last we heard, his buddy Jeff Greenberg asked for more time to cooperate with investigators. It has been a few months of silence, so no one really knew what was going on....until last week when Gaetz's ex may have just put the knife right in Gaetz's back. CBS News is reporting that Gaetz's ex-gf was granted immunity in exchange for her testimony in front of a grand jury.
The unnamed ex-girlfriend allegedly received immunity from prosecutors prior to testifying in front of a federal grand jury regarding a wide range of issues - two big ones being child sex trafficking laws and obstruction of justice. Gaetz has denied all allegations, repeatedly stating that he never paid for sex or had sex with an underage girl. Venmo receipts show that he did pay hundreds of dollars to girls for tuition and other things. The ex-girlfriend allegedly has information related to both of the dual tracks of the investigation.
CBS news analyst Rikki Kleiman said "this may be a willing participant who has a smart lawyer who sought an immunity deal from the government. The government does not give immunity blindly, they know what they're getting in exchange."
That does not sound good for Matty.
Gaetz's attorney provided a more nuanced statement, way less fiery than the usual statements from his spokespeople, saying "we have seen no credible basis for a charge against Congressman Gaetz. We remain steadfast in our commitment to challenge any allegations with the facts and law."
Mmmhmm. Very careful wording there. Lawyerly.
As part of the obstruction investigation, prosecutors are investigating specifically whether Gaetz had a phone call with the ex-girlfriend and another woman, the other woman being a witness in the federal investigation already. It is alleged, by multiple sources, that the ex-girlfriend and the other woman on the call traveled to the Bahamas with Gaetz in 2018, along with a THIRD woman who was allegedly underage when Gaetz started a sexual relationship with her. Investigators are trying to determine if the women were paid or "trafficked" across state or international lines to have sex with Gaetz. All are crimes, fyi.
Multiple sources tell CBS that Greenberg, Gaetz's former wingman and bestie, introduced the then 17 year old to Gaetz. Has he told investigators that he told Gaetz that she was underage and that Gaetz was aware of it before he took her across state or international lines? Did Greenberg tell investigators that Gaetz paid her for sex?
Twitter had thoughts
I rarely agree 100% with Palmer Report, but in this case, I do
Tick Tock, Matt. Enjoy prison.