Former Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz is unlikely to face criminal charges, despite the charges detailed in the House Ethics Committee report, Florida Attorney Dave Aronberg said Monday. said.
of the committee report Gates accused a 17-year-old girl of violating Florida's statutory rape law by allegedly paying her $400 for sex, but the girl did not reveal her age, and a former congressman also questioned him. He claimed that there was no such thing. Aaronberg said on “ABC News Live” that the fact that Attorney General Merrick Garland's Justice Department declined to indict Gates and that the charges could be difficult to substantiate means that the former congressman said He said this indicates he intends to avoid criminal charges. (Related: CNN's Scott Jennings says Matt Gaetz's nomination was a “bridge too far” given the “rocky relationship on the hill”)
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“If the Merrick Garland Justice Department decides not to prosecute Matt Gaetz, the Donald Trump Justice Department certainly won't either,” Aronberg said. “In particular, remember, Matt Gaetz was appointed attorney general of the United States until he had to withdraw his nomination by Donald Trump, but even after all this came out…at the federal level… “I don’t think there will be any prosecutions.”In that case. ”
“Currently, there is always the possibility that state prosecutors will charge Gaetz with child sex trafficking. There are no legal limits to that crime. “We need solid proof that he paid her,” he continued. “And according to published reports, at least in part we know, he paid her $400 in cash, not on Venmo. Venmo came along later, so in exchange for sex. It will be much more difficult to prove that any money was paid, so we do not expect any criminal charges against Matt Gaetz.”
The report said there were at least 20 incidents between 2017 and 2020 in which Gaetz allegedly paid women for sex or illegal drugs.
“When I was single, I often sent money to women I dated, some of whom asked me to do so even though I had never dated them,” Gaetz wrote on X on December 18. “I have never had sexual contact with anyone under the age of 18. My claims would not stand up in court. That is why such claims were not made in court.”
“It's not a crime, but I'm ashamed that early in my life I partied more than I should, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have,” he added. “I'm living a different life now.”
President-elect Donald Trump selected Gaetz to be attorney general in November, but the former congressman withdrew from consideration the same month. he claimed At the time, Mr.
“There is no time to waste on unnecessarily prolonged Washington brawls, so I am withdrawing my name from consideration for attorney general,” the former congressman wrote. “President Trump's Justice Department must be staffed and ready from day one.”
Shortly after, Gates resigned from the 118th Congress after being appointed attorney general by President Trump, and announced that he would not serve in the 119th Congress.
The former congressman will join the prime-time lineup of the conservative One America News Network in January.
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