insiderblmA Florida judge on Thursday signed off on a plea agreement in which Joel Greenberg, an associate of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), promised to help federal prosecutors with other investigations, posing a possible threat to Gaetz as he faces a reported sex trafficking probe.
KEY FACTS
Greenberg, a former county tax collector in Florida, has pleaded guilty to six charges, including child sex trafficking and wire fraud, and in exchange, federal prosecutors agreed to drop more than a dozen other charges and recommend a less stringent prison sentence.
Greenberg also promised to offer “substantial assistance” in other investigations.
The plea deal doesn’t name Gaetz, but the New York Times and Washington Post reported last month that Greenberg has given investigators information about Gaetz’s activities, and after the plea negotiations first became public in April, Greenberg’s attorney told reporters, “I’m sure Matt Gaetz is not feeling very comfortable.”
CHIEF CRITIC
“Joel Greenberg pleaded guilty to falsely accusing another adult of sexual contact with minors when it suited him. That person was innocent. So is Congressman Gaetz,” a Gaetz spokesperson said in a statement to Forbes.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Greenberg will return to court on Aug. 19 for a sentencing hearing, federal judge Gregory Presnell ordered Thursday.
KEY BACKGROUND
The Department of Justice is investigating whether Gaetz and Greenberg paid women for sex, and whether Gaetz paid to transport a 17-year-old girl with whom he had a sexual relationship, violating sex trafficking laws, the Times and other outlets reported. The probe also reportedly includes whether a Florida medical marijuana entrepreneur tried to illegally influence Gaetz during a 2018 trip to the Bahamas, and whether Gaetz obstructed justice. Gaetz has fervently denied paying women for sex or having a sexual relationship with a minor.
TANGENT
Gaetz’s ex-girlfriend is also cooperating with federal prosecutors, CNN reported two weeks ago. The woman, a former Capitol Hill staffer, reportedly joined Gaetz and other women on the 2018 Bahamas trip, as investigators look into possible sex trafficking and public corruption violations tied to the trip.
