Matt Gaetz: An Uncertain Future
As the investigation on Matt Gaetz closes in, questions about his political future arise.
The case against Florida representative Matt Gaetz has accelerated since The Progressive American first reported on the investigation on Sunday, with the tides seemingly turning against him. Already, the Independent reports that Gaetz faces a House ethics investigation, further putting the third-term congressman’s political future in question. While Republicans have been hesitant to protect him, Gaetz has fought against the alleged wrong-doing alone.
It has been nine days since The New York Times first broke the story that the Justice Department was investigating Gaetz for alleged statutory rape, and the investigation has only revealed more damning information against the representative. New reports show that Gaetz sought a pardon during the last months of the Trump administration, though it was never granted. Said reports suggest that Gaetz sought to use his political connections to avoid prosecution. Although, former President Trump denies that any such request was made.
Then there are the newly uncovered Venmo payments to alleged sex trafficker and former Seminole County tax collector, Joel Greenberg, which go back to May of 2018. In a report published by The Daily Beast, Gaetz is alleged to have sent Greenberg $900 in May. The next morning, Venmo records show that Greenberg then paid three women separate, totaling $900. It should be noted that one of these women had turned 18 only 6 months before.
Though Greenberg describes these payments as paying for “school” and “tuition,” the indictments against him are directly related to so-called “sugar daddy” relationships. Seminole County officials have also been examining the payments, with auditors finding at least $300,000 in “suspicious” expenses. The Justice Department is also investigating Gaetz for supposed pay-for-sex schemes that may be related to these online payments, which are no longer public, presumably deleted by Gaetz.
In the meantime, Gaetz has hired a PR firm to defend his reputation known as Logan Circle Group. The firm has reportedly threatened to sue two reporters over their coverage that suggested Trump was distancing themselves from Gaetz. Gaetz has also hired Trump ally and defense lawyer, Marc Mukasey, who is working to help defend the Trump organization from legal problems, further binding him to Trump’s affiliates.
That might not be enough, however, as support for Gaetz remains relatively low. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) called for Gaetz’s resignation on Thursday, making him the first Republican to do so, and now, Greenberg appears likely to plead guilty to the charges against him. Such a plea would likely result in an agreement between investigators and Greenberg, who could testify against Rep. Gaetz. If that occurs, Gaetz’s chances of remaining in politics would be in serious jeopardy, if not his freedom. Or as Greenberg’s lawyer put it “I am sure Matt Gaetz is not feeling very comfortable today.”