Two women filed a federal civil lawsuit in Florida on Thursday accusing former U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz and two associates of participating in a sex trafficking scheme involving young women, illegal drugs, and paid sexual encounters between 2017 and January 2019.
Federal Lawsuit Filed in Florida Names Matt Gaetz and Associates
Former Florida Republican congressman Matt Gaetz is facing a fresh legal battle after two women filed a federal civil lawsuit in the Middle District of Florida accusing him of participating in the sex trafficking of two young women. The 38-page complaint also names former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg, former Florida state lawmaker Christopher Dorworth, and three Greenberg-affiliated dental businesses as defendants.
West Palm Beach attorney Spencer Kuvin, who represents the plaintiffs identified as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, said the legal action aims to establish the full breadth of the operation. The lawsuit invokes the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, alleging that the defendants used their public office, power, and wealth to prey on the economic vulnerability of the plaintiffs through a coordinated network.
Recruitment Tactics, Payments, and Drug Allegations Outlined in Court Documents
According to the complaint, Greenberg recruited women through the website SeekingArrangement.com and introduced them to Gaetz. The plaintiffs claim that Gaetz did not maintain his own account on the site but instead used Greenberg’s login credentials. At the time of their introduction in the summer of 2017, Jane Doe 1 was 20 years old and Jane Doe 2 was 22 years old.
The lawsuit details dozens of financial transactions and travel arrangements designed to facilitate commercial sex acts. The filing cites more than 150 transactions totaling over $70,000 that Greenberg allegedly used to pay women, with some charges placed on a tax collector’s office credit card under captions such as “school” and “ice cream” according to the lawsuit. One plaintiff states she received more than $6,000, while the other alleges she received more than $4,000 from Gaetz, alongside smaller cash payments ranging from $150 to $1,000 on at least 19 occasions.
Greenberg’s Prior Conviction and the 2024 House Ethics Investigation
The new civil complaint follows years of scrutiny surrounding Gaetz’s conduct while in office. Joel Greenberg pleaded guilty in 2021 to charges of sex trafficking of a child, illegally producing a false identification document, aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, stalking, and conspiracy. He is currently serving an 11-year federal prison sentence.
While federal prosecutors closed their investigation into Gaetz without filing criminal charges in 2023, a bipartisan House Ethics Committee pursued a separate inquiry. In November 2024, President Donald Trump nominated Gaetz for U.S. attorney general, prompting him to step down from his congressional seat amid mounting doubts over his Senate confirmation. The House Ethics Committee subsequently released a report in December 2024 citing substantial evidence that Gaetz had paid women for sex and had sexual contact with a 17-year-old girl in 2017. Jane Doe 1 corroborated aspects of that report in the new complaint, stating she witnessed Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old.
Matt Gaetz Denies Wrongdoing and Welcomes Depositions
Gaetz has consistently denied all allegations of wrongdoing. Responding to the new civil complaint, he issued a statement criticizing the basis of the litigation and expressing satisfaction at the prospect of questioning his accusers under oath.
I look forward to taking the plaintiffs’ depositions because much of the conduct alleged against me is false. The lawsuit relies almost exclusively on a Congressional Committee Report that didn’t allow me to confront my accusers. Now I will finally have that chance.
Matt Gaetz, via The Guardian
Gaetz also pointed to social media posts from a September 2018 trip to the Bahamas, suggesting that the plaintiffs portrayed their travel differently on social media than in their lawsuit seeking money.