Gaetz friend Joel Greenberg apparently confessed in writing that both men had sex with 'underage' girl
Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) are going on tour in May to "attack Democrats and Republicans they deem insufficiently loyal to former President Donald Trump," Politico reports. "The idea is to send a message from the two controversial Republicans: They're not canceled, they're not going to be quiet, and the infamy their critics attribute to them is translatable as fame and power in the conservative movement."
Meanwhile, the hits keep coming in the FBI's investigation into Gaetz's alleged violations of federal sex trafficking laws. The progenitor of the investigation, former Florida tax collector Joel Greenberg, confessed in writing that both he and Gaetz paid for sex with women and had sex with a 17-year-old girl, The Daily Beast reported Thursday night, citing multiple versions of a confession note and screenshots of encrypted text messages with Trump ally Roger Stone.
Greenberg, arrested in August and subsequently charged with 33 counts of criminal violations, contacted Stone in December to see if he could obtain a pardon from Trump, The Daily Beast reports. Stone finally informed Greenberg that the effort had failed, in part because Gaetz "told me not to help you which I tried to do anyway."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"On more than one occasion," the 17-year-old girl at the center of the case "was involved in sexual activities with several of the other girls, the congressman from Florida's 1st Congressional District, and myself," Greenberg reportedly acknowledged in a letter Stone requested as part of the pardon effort. "From time to time, gas money or gifts, rent, or partial tuition payments were made to several of these girls, including the individual who was not yet 18," on behalf of Gaetz.
Greenberg wrote that he and Gaetz believed the girl was 19 when they first had sex with her, and when they found out she was underage, "there was no further contact with this individual until after her 18th birthday."
Greenberg texted Stone on Dec. 21 that the feds were pressuring him to flip on Gaetz, he had fired his lawyers for backing the idea, and those lawyers know Gaetz "paid me to pay the girls and that he and I both had sex with the girl who was underage," The Daily Beast reports. Gaetz asserted through a PR firm that he "has never paid for sex nor has he had sex with a 17 year old as an adult." Read more at The Daily Beast.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
4 ways to give back this holiday season
The Explainer If your budget is feeling squeezed, remember that money is not the only way you can be generous around the holidays
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
4 tips for hosting an ecofriendly Thanksgiving
The Week Recommends Coming together for the holidays typically produces a ton of waste, but with proper preparation, you can have an environmentally friendly gathering.
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Global court issues arrest warrant for Netanyahu
Speed Read The International Criminal Court issued warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who stand accused of war crimes
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Gaetz bows out, Trump pivots to Pam Bondi
Speed Read Gaetz withdrew from attorney generation consideration, making way for longtime Trump loyalist Pam Bondi
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
GOP's Mace seeks federal anti-trans bathroom ban
Speed Read Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina has introduced legislation to ban transgender people from using federal facilities
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine fires ATACMS, Russia ups hybrid war
Speed Read Ukraine shot U.S.-provided long-range missiles and Russia threatened retaliation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New York DA floats 4-year Trump sentencing freeze
Speed Read President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing is on hold, and his lawyers are pushing to dismiss the case while he's in office
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
What message is Trump sending with his Cabinet picks?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION By nominating high-profile loyalists like Matt Gaetz and RFK Jr., is Trump serious about creating a functioning Cabinet, or does he have a different plan in mind?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Wyoming judge strikes down abortion, pill bans
Speed Read The judge said the laws — one of which was a first-in-the-nation prohibition on the use of medication to end pregnancy — violated the state's constitution
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US sanctions Israeli West Bank settler group
Speed Read The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Amana, Israel's largest settlement development organization
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published