AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File
Embattled former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has had a rough few weeks, with his bid to become attorney general falling apart and the bombshell revelations of the House Ethics report released Monday. But the firebrand from the Florida panhandle did get some positive news when both the Florida Attorney General and Seminole County Sheriff indicated they were unlikely to pursue criminal charges against him.
Gaetz’s alleged entanglement in a sprawling series of schemes and crimes — including accusations about illegal drug use, bribes, and allegations he sexually trafficked a 17-year-old girl — dragged down his nomination, combined with the many bridges he had burned with his fellow House Republicans. His former friend, former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg, is currently in prison serving an 11-year sentence after pleading guilty to paying a 17-year-old girl for sex while also providing her with illegal drugs. In Greenberg’s plea, he admitted that he “introduced the minor to other adult men, who engaged in commercial sex acts,” although the plea did not mention any specific
A House Ethics Committee investigation was opened into the allegations and rumors about the “highly damaging” contents of the committee’s report have been swirling for months. Last week, news broke that the committee had taken a secret vote to release it. As he has throughout, Gaetz denied all wrongdoing and has vowed to seek to have damaging information about his former colleagues released as payback, but in the end there was nothing he could legally do to block the release of the report and it was published by the committee Monday morning.
The 37-page report covers a stunning description of the “substantial evidence” that Gaetz “violated House Rules, state and federal laws, and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, acceptance of impermissible gifts, the provision of special favors and privileges, and obstruction of Congress.” Even the two Republican members of the committee who voted against its release (on the grounds that Gaetz was no longer in Congress) said in a statement that they had no issue with the report’s findings.
The report strongly condemned the Department of Justice for failing to bring any federal criminal charges against Gaetz, which had a chilling effect on the victims and witnesses, and for being uncooperative with the committee’s investigatory efforts. In the aftermath of the report’s release, many political observers have pondered if Gaetz might be facing state charges — especially regarding the testimony that
Mike DeForest, an investigative reporter with WKMG, Orlando’s local CBS affiliate, tweeted that he had emailed Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office to inquire “if she thinks a state investigation into Matt Gaetz is warranted for any crimes alleged by the House Ethics Committee that are not barred by a statute of limitations,” but got an out of office automatic reply. DeForest posted that tweet along with a photo of Moody and Gaetz smiling together at an event they both attended in February 2020.
A few hours later, DeForest posted a statement from Moody’s office in response to his question.
The statement from Statewide Prosecutor Nick Cox said, “Allegations of violations of state criminal law would be investigated by law enforcement in the appropriate jurisdiction, such as a local police department, sheriff’s office or the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. To determine if the agencies in the relevant jurisdictions have received information from the House Ethics Committee or have initiated investigations, you would need to contact
As the key allegations regarding Gaetz having sex with a then-17-year-old were that the incidents happened at Dorworth’s home in Lake Mary, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office would have jurisdiction. DeForest obtained a statement from the SCSO as well.
The SCSO statement refers to the arrest of Greenberg, Gaetz’s former “wingman,” after his fingerprints were found on the envelope used to mail a letter to the employer of his political primary opponent containing false accusations. According to the SCSO, the Greenberg case was turned over to federal law enforcement and because “the statute of limitations for these alleged crimes has expired and no victim or sworn affidavit has been provided, we are unable to conduct an independent investigation, regardless of the findings from the House of Representatives Committee on Ethics”:
The initial investigation into Joel Greenberg began with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) after latent fingerprints, identified through a forensic examination conducted by the SCSO Forensics Division, were found on an envelope containing harassing communications sent to his then-political opponent, Brian Beute. The SCSO then reviewed state laws and determined that the crime involved federal violations due to the use of the federal postal system, which would result in stronger penalties. At that point, federal law enforcement requested to take over the investigation
because the case involved more serious federal charges. As a result, the SCSO ceased its involvement, and federal agencies took over the continued and expanded investigation as directed out of Washington, D.C.The SCSO is committed to investigating criminal activity, but an investigation can only begin when there is a victim or direct knowledge of a crime. This requires a sworn statement or affidavit from the victim outlining the alleged crime or information that warrants further investigation. No victim in the sexual activity allegation is known to the SCSO or has come forward with allegations relating to this report. By the time federal investigators had a verbal conversation with the SCSO regarding their findings and decision not to pursue federal charges, the state’s statute of limitations had long expired. Since the statute of limitations for these alleged crimes has expired and no victim or sworn affidavit has been provided, we are unable to conduct an independent investigation, regardless of the findings from the House of Representatives Committee on Ethics.