Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz sued in federal sex trafficking case involving Miami trips

Two women have filed a federal civil lawsuit accusing former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz and others of sex trafficking, according to reports from 1190talkradio.iheart.com and CBS12. The lawsuit alleges that Gaetz and co-defendants exploited the women's financial vulnerabilities to obtain commercial sexual acts between 2017 and early 2019.

The complaint, filed in federal court in Orlando, names Gaetz, former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg, former state Rep. Chris Dorworth, and several businesses tied to Greenberg's family as defendants, CBS12 reported. The women claim they were provided money, drugs, travel, and lodging in exchange for sex acts.

The lawsuit details trips arranged by the defendants to multiple locations, including Miami, Venice Beach, Las Vegas, the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and New York City, where the plaintiffs say they were expected to perform sexual acts in exchange for travel and accommodations, according to 1190talkradio.iheart.com and 600wrec.iheart.com.

Gaetz has denied the allegations and plans to contest them in court, stating much of the alleged conduct is false, as reported by 1190talkradio.iheart.com. The Justice Department declined to charge Gaetz in its sex trafficking investigation in 2023, though a House Ethics Committee found evidence of wrongdoing including obstructing Congress's investigation.

One defendant, Joel Greenberg, is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence for crimes including underage sex trafficking. The lawsuit alleges Greenberg recruited the women and introduced them to Gaetz, according to 1190talkradio.iheart.com and CBS12.

Gaetz's nomination for U.S. Attorney General was withdrawn in 2024 amid scrutiny over these allegations, as noted by 1190talkradio.iheart.com. The plaintiffs' attorney said the women were reluctant to come forward due to Gaetz's political stature but sought civil justice after criminal charges were not pursued, CBS12 reported.