Republican Sex Scandal Week continues as a new court filing details events related to the ongoing sex trafficking allegations surrounding Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz. The late-Thursday night federal filing references sealed eyewitness statements that describe a high school junior attending a party in a home laden with drugs, where Gaetz and other adults came together for sex.
As NOTUS reports, Gaetz has consistently claimed he was not at the July 2017 party, but testimony from his own ex-girlfriend rebuts that claim. The witnesses cite the presence of “alcohol, cocaine, ecstasy … and marijuana” and confirm that those present were there to “engage in sexual activities.” They also confirm the presence of a 17-year-old girl who was “naked” at the party.
The event took place at the home of lobbyist Chris Dorworth, a friend of Gaetz. Cell phone records show that Gaetz and Dorworth communicated “constantly” during the day before the party—including some 30 text messages.
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Gaetz remains under investigation by the House Ethics Committee. The scandal began heating up again earlier this month after Dorworth dropped a 2023 defamation suit against Gaetz’s former associate Joel Greenberg. A confession letter from Greenberg, published by The Daily Beast, detailed claims that both he and Gaetz had paid for sex with an underaged girl.
“From time to time, gas money or gifts, rent or partial tuition payments were made to several of these girls, including the individual who was not yet 18,” wrote Greenberg.
As The New Republic explains, Thursday’s filing was part of a Dorworth’s own team’s effort to claw back attorneys’ fees from his dropped lawsuit.
Greenberg was sentenced to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to six federal charges— including sex trafficking of a minor, stalking, identity theft, wire fraud, and conspiracy to bribe a public official.
Gaetz has made no comment on the court documents as of this writing, but has repeatedly denied being involved in sex trafficking or having sex with an underaged individual.