Rep. Gaetz says no charges against him in sex trafficking case

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican known for his strong support of former President Donald Trump and his membership in the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, said Wednesday that the Justice Department has terminated to a sex trafficking case without any charges. against him.

The lawmaker who represents much of the Florida Panhandle released a statement through his congressional office saying the long-running investigation was complete. Gaetz had always insisted he was innocent of any wrongdoing.

“The Department of Justice has confirmed to Congressman Gaetz’s attorneys that their investigation has been completed and that he will not be charged with any crimes,” the statement said.

A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. The development was first reported by CNN.

Although he is a relatively junior member of Congress, Gaetz has gained national attention through his frequent appearances on television news in recent years, during which he has offered an unvarnished defense of Trump. But few Republicans were quick to support him as the investigation unfolded and cast a shadow over his career, and some treated him like a pariah.

Last month, Gaetz clashed again with his fellow Republicans, when he was part of a group of far-right conservatives who opposed GOP leader Kevin McCarthy's bid for president of the House and which forced McCarthy into a record 15 votes. At one point, Alabama Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican ally of McCarthy, angrily confronted Gaetz on the House floor, telling Gaetz he would regret his decision. Lawmakers cried out in disbelief as Rogers was restrained by a colleague. McCarthy ultimately prevailed in the presidential race.

Federal prosecutors were investigating whether Gaetz and his former political ally Joel Greenberg paid or gave gifts to underage girls and escorts in exchange for sex, according to two people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to discuss publicly of the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Greenberg, a fellow Republican who was a tax collector in Florida's Seminole County, admitted as part of a plea deal with prosecutors that he paid women and an underage girl to have sex with him and other men. The men were not identified in court documents when he pleaded guilty.

Greenberg was sentenced in late 2022 to 11 years in federal prison for various crimes.

Federal investigators were looking into a trip Gaetz took to the Bahamas with a group of women and Jason Pirozzolo, a hand surgeon and Gaetz campaign donor, and whether the women were paid or given gifts to have sex with men, a close person said. with the case.

David Haas, Pirozzolo's attorney, said in a statement Wednesday that he received a similar notification from the Justice Department regarding the closure of the investigation.

“Dr. Pirozzolo asks that his privacy and that of his family be respected, as the last few years have been extremely difficult to bear,” Haas said.

Prosecutors had also been investigating whether Gaetz and his associates tried to get government jobs for some of the women, the sources said. Prosecutors were examining Gaetz's ties to the medical marijuana industry, including whether his associates sought to influence Gaetz-sponsored legislation.

The House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into Gaetz in April 2021. The opening of this bipartisan investigation was one of the first official indications that leaders in Gaetz's party were willing to examine his actions.

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Anderson reported from St. Petersburg, Fla., and Price from New York. Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report.