Federal Inquiry Traced Payments From Gaetz to Women
The New York Times
A document prepared by federal investigators bolsters claims by women who say they were hired for sex by Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choice for attorney general, who denies wrongdoing.
Federal investigators have established a web of payments among Matt Gaetz and dozens of friends and associates who are said to have taken part with him in drug-fueled sex parties, according to a document obtained by The New York Times.
Among those who received money from Mr. Gaetz were two women who have testified that he hired them for sex, according to the document and a lawyer for the two women. The lawyer said payments to the women ultimately totaled around $10,000.
The document obtained by The Times was assembled by federal investigators during a sex-trafficking investigation into Mr. Gaetz, who is President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choice for attorney general. It shows how Mr. Gaetz and a friend sent thousands of dollars through Venmo to dozens of people who, according to testimony that is said to have been given to federal and congressional investigators, were involved in sex parties from 2017 to 2020.
Among those who received payment from Mr. Gaetz’s friend, the document shows, was another woman who, according to people familiar with details of the case, was 17 when she attended one of the parties.
Mr. Gaetz, 42, represented Florida in Congress from 2017 until last week. He has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, and the federal investigation was closed by the Justice Department without any charges against him. Vice President-elect JD Vance accompanied Mr. Gaetz to Capitol Hill on Wednesday in an effort to build support for his nomination from Republican senators, some of whom have expressed doubt that he is confirmable.
The document was obtained by the House Ethics Committee, which met on Wednesday amid growing pressure to release a report it has compiled on Mr. Gaetz but deadlocked on whether to do so.
