Getty Images
- Joel Greenberg has turned over years of electronic transactions and thousands of photos and videos, per ABC.
- He also exchanged texts with a woman who said she requires “$400 per meet.”
- Greenberg reportedly arranged a meet-up between himself, Gaetz, the woman, and her friend.
- See more stories on Insider’s business page.
Florida congressman Matt Gaetz’s former right-hand man Joel Greenberg has given prosecutors years worth of electronic cash transactions and “thousands” of pictures and videos as part of a broad sex-trafficking probe, ABC News reported Thursday.
The outlet also reviewed Google Voice text messages Greenberg sent in September 2018 to a woman he met online. According to ABC News, Greenberg asked the woman if she was of legal age and whether she would take drugs. He then reportedly asked her if she would like to meet up with him and Gaetz, and added, “And how much of an allowance will you be requiring :)”
The woman replied that she had a friend “who introduced me to the website that I could bring,” and said that she “usually” requires “$400 per meet,” the report said.
ABC News reported that Greenberg subsequently sent the woman a photo of Gaetz taking a selfie with Pea Ridge Elementary School students in 2017, and wrote, “My friend.” The woman is said to have replied, “Oooh my friend thinks he’s really cute!”
Greenberg reportedly told the woman that Gaetz was “down here only for the day,” and said, “we work hard and play hard.” He then asked her if she had ever tried MDMA.
ABC News said that the woman asked Greenberg if Gaetz used the same website that Greenberg had used to communicate with her, and Greenberg replied, “He knows the deal :)” He also said that he would book “a suite Downtown” for the meetup.
Greenberg, a former Seminole County, Florida, tax collector, has been cooperating with prosecutors in the investigation into him and Gaetz since last year, and he struck a formal plea deal in May, pleading guilty to six felony counts of sex trafficking, wire fraud, identity theft, conspiracy, and stalking.
According to ABC News, Greenberg turned over years of Venmo and Cash App transactions to federal prosecutors, and he also gave them access to personal social media accounts.
Investigators began scrutinizing whether Gaetz violated federal sex-trafficking laws last year as part of their inquiry into Greenberg. In addition to looking into whether Gaetz had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old in 2019, prosecutors are said to be looking into if he paid for her to travel with him and broke federal sex-trafficking laws by doing so.
The Times reported that the inquiry is focusing on Gaetz and Greenberg’s interactions with “multiple women who were recruited online for sex and received cash payments.” The sex probe is focusing not just on Gaetz’s conduct in his home state of Florida but in other states as well, and investigators are also said to be examining whether Gaetz used campaign money to fund travel and other expenses for women.
Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing, and he has not been charged with a crime. His spokesperson, Harlan Hill, denounced the allegations outlined in ABC News’ report as false.
“After months of media coverage, not one woman has come forward to accuse Rep. Gaetz of wrongdoing,” Hill told the outlet. “Not even President Biden can say that. That others might invite people unbeknownst to a U.S. Congressman to functions he may or may not attend is the everyday life of a political figure. Your story references people the congressman doesn’t know, things he hasn’t done and messages he neither sent nor received.”
Hill went on to say that Gaetz addressed “the debunked allegations against him — and their origin in an extortion plot — during his Firebrand podcast episode last week. People should download and watch.”
Earlier this year, as Greenberg was on the cusp of striking a formal plea deal, his lawyer indicated he had significant information of value to offer prosecutors about Gaetz.
“I’m sure Matt Gaetz is not feeling very comfortable today,” Greenberg’s lawyer, Fritz Scheller, told reporters after a court hearing in early April.
In July, Scheller requested a 90-day delay in Greenberg’s sentencing hearing, which was originally scheduled for August 19, because his client expected to cooperate further.
“Mr. Greenberg has been cooperating with the government and has participated in a series of proffers. Said cooperation, which could impact his ultimate sentence, cannot be completed prior to the time of his sentencing,” Scheller wrote.
“The parties expect that Mr. Greenberg will participate in additional proffers, and a continuance would provide Mr. Greenberg with additional time to do so prior to his sentencing,” Scheller continued.
A federal judge signed off on the request shortly after, and a new sentencing date has been set for November.
Powered by WPeMatico
