Matt Gaetz named in federal sex‑trafficking lawsuit

Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz was named in a new federal lawsuit accusing him of sex trafficking, filed in the Middle District of Florida on Monday.

The complaint, reported by Mediaite, also implicates former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg and former Florida House member Christopher Dorworth. It alleges that the alleged incidents occurred between 2017 and 2019 and were recounted by two unnamed women who said they were introduced to Gaetz while in their twenties.

One of the women claims she witnessed Gaetz having sex with a 17‑year‑old girl, and both say Gaetz paid them thousands of dollars. The filing further alleges that the women were supplied with drugs to facilitate sexual encounters with associates of former Seminole County tax collector Joel "Goldberg" (as referenced in the complaint).

According to the suit, Gaetz also covered up direct involvement in funding the girls’ travel by using other dependents he recruited, suggesting a broader scheme to conceal the alleged conduct.

Gaetz denied the allegations in a statement to the Miami Herald, calling the accusations false. He emphasized that the lawsuit “relies almost exclusively on a Congressional Committee report that didn’t allow me to confront my accusers.” He added that he looks forward to taking the plaintiffs’ depositions, which he says will give him the opportunity to confront his accusers.

The filing marks the latest legal challenge facing the former congressman, who left office in 2022. No criminal charges have yet been filed, and the case will proceed through the federal court system.

The next procedural step is a scheduled hearing on the lawsuit’s motions, after which the court will determine whether the case moves forward to trial.