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Of all of the political intercourse scandals to emerge in current months, few have been extra stunning than that of Matt Gaetz.
And new allegations that emerged at the moment may cost a little the previous congressman his few remaining supporters.
As chances are you’ll recall, simply final 12 months, Gaetz was the frontrunner for the place of U.S. Legal professional Basic.
He was an odd alternative for the function, contemplating he had already been investigated for little one intercourse trafficking.
And now, it seems to be as if allegations that Gaetz thought has been buried for good have resurfaced in very public vogue.
In November of 2024, Gaetz abruptly resigned from the Home of Representatives, simply days earlier than the Home Ethics Committee was set to launch its findings on his alleged sexual encounters with underage women.
Gaetz withdrew his nomination for lawyer normal, and Home Speaker Mike Johnson stated he would “strongly request that the Ethics Committee not challenge the report.”
It appeared as if the committee’s findings would ceaselessly stay a thriller,
However on Thursday, roughly one 12 months after Gaetz’s resignation, The New York Occasions printed a dramatic report concerning the life and circumstances of one of many former congressman’s alleged victims.
“She was 17 and a highschool junior in Florida. She was working at McDonald’s. And he or she was dwelling out and in of a homeless shelter,” the article begins.
“Hoping to save lots of as much as purchase braces to repair her tooth, she falsely marketed herself in 2017 as 18 years outdated on a web site that matches males searching for ‘companionship’ with younger girls trying to make cash.
“What adopted would set off a sequence of occasions that will have a dramatic impression on her life and assist upend the political profession of one of many males she would encounter, Consultant Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican.”
The report incorporates quotes from the lady’s lawyer, Laura B. Wolf, who spoke with the Occasions after a Florida decide dominated that sure recordsdata pertaining to the Gaetz investigation needs to be unsealed.
“The weak circumstances most crime victims face are hardly ever recognized to the general public,” Wolf stated.
“Though my shopper’s circumstances have been revealed exterior of her management, I hope it helps for the general public to see a fuller and extra human image of her than the press has reported on to this point.”
Wolf added: “Energy imbalances could be age, however they can be monetary. My shopper had little financial safety, which allowed for monetary leverage over her.”
The lady was to function the chief witness in opposition to Gaetz, however the investigation got here to an finish when the Justice Division underneath President Trump declined to deliver prices.
“I by no means had intercourse with this particular person. This particular person threatened me with a lawsuit if I didn’t pay her $2.3 million {dollars},” Gaetz advised the Occasions by way of textual content message on Thursday. “She by no means sued me as a result of her story is fiction.”
The brand new data relating to Gaetz comes as politicians on each side of the aisle are demanding the discharge of the Epstein recordsdata, which might incriminate Trump and others.
We may have additional updates on this growing story as new data turns into obtainable.