Matt Gaetz named as defendant in civil suit alleging sex trafficking
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Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has been named as a defendant in a federal civil lawsuit alleging he participated in a sex trafficking scheme involving young women and illegal drugs that crossed state lines.
The 33-page complaint was filed Monday in the Middle District of Florida by attorney Spencer Kuvin on behalf of two women identified as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2.
“I look forward to taking the plaintiffs’ depositions because much of the conduct alleged against me is false,” Gaetz said in a statement. “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.”
According to the lawsuit, seen by the Miami Herald, the alleged incidents took place between 2017 and January 2019. The suit names two other defendants: former Florida GOP House member Christopher Dorworth and former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg.
Greenberg is currently serving an 11-year federal prison sentence following a 2021 guilty plea for sex trafficking of a minor, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, stalking and conspiracy.
The lawsuit alleges that Greenberg recruited vulnerable women without stable income using the website SeekingArangement.com, introducing them to a network that included Gaetz and Dorworth. The plaintiffs contend the defendants provided controlled substances at parties and private residences to facilitate commercial sex encounters.
Jane Doe 1 was 20 and Jane Doe 2 was 22 when introduced to Gaetz in the summer of 2017. The suit states Gaetz was 15 years older than Jane Doe 1 and 13 years older than Jane Doe 2, alleging the defendants used the age gap to manipulate the women and maintain secrecy.
According to the complaint, Jane Doe 1 received more than $6,000 from Gaetz and Jane Doe 2 received over $4,000, with payment descriptions including “Being my friend,” “car deductible” and “Love you.” Jane Doe 1 also alleges she witnessed Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old girl identified in the lawsuit as “Victim A,” who is not a plaintiff in the case.
This is a breaking news story. More to come…
