A former associate of Rep. Matt Gaetz on Monday pleaded guilty to multiple federal crimes, including sex trafficking of an underage girl, and agreed to cooperate with the investigation into the Florida Republican.
Joel Greenberg, a former Seminole County, Florida, tax commissioner, admitted to six charges including admitting that he had knowingly solicited and paid a minor for sex. He also pleaded guilty to charges of fraud and stalking a political rival.
The plea deal could be a substantial win for Justice Department prosecutors probing whether Mr. Gaetz had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl and paid for her travels with him.
Mr. Gaetz has not been charged with a crime and has denied all wrongdoing.
Under the plea agreement, Mr. Greenberg will avoid some of the 33 charges he faced, which included identity theft and bribery.
The sex charge that Mr. Greenberg copped to carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, but he could serve much less time if his cooperation helps prosecutors in the Gaetz probe.
As part of his plea deal, Mr. Greenberg has agreed to give “substantial assistance” to prosecutors, including testifying at trials or federal grand juries if needed and turning over all documents that could help the investigation into Mr. Gaetz.
Court filings released Friday showed how Mr. Greenberg used cellphone apps to make contacts and paid thousands of dollars for sex with younger women. The documents also detail drug-fueled sexual romps at hotels and using his office’s power to line his own pockets.
Mr. Gaetz was not mentioned in any of the court documents.
Defense attorneys for Mr. Greenberg last month said their client’s cooperation could create legal headaches for Mr. Gaetz, a conservative firebrand known for his ardent support of former President Trump.
“I’m sure Matt Gaetz is not feeling very comfortable today,” Mr. Greenberg’s defense attorney Fritz Scheller, told reporters in April after a hearing in the case against Mr. Greenberg.
Source:Washington Times
