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<ul class="summary-list"><li>A potential witness in the <keyword id="11923746" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="matt-gaetz" source="Orion">Matt Gaetz</keyword> sex-trafficking probe pleaded guilty on Wednesday.</li><li><keyword id="13038904" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="joe-ellicott" source="Orion">Joe Ellicott</keyword> pleaded to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and drug charges in an unrelated case.</li></ul>Joe Ellicott, an associate of the former Florida tax official <keyword id="12251532" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="joel-greenberg" source="Orion">Joel Greenberg</keyword>, pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud and drug-related charges on Wednesday.He is the second potential witness in the wide-ranging sex-trafficking investigation into Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz to strike a formal plea deal. Greenberg also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joel-greenberg-pleads-guilty-agrees-to-cooperate-against-gaetz-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pleaded guilty</a> last year to six felonies including sex-trafficking, stalking, identity theft, wire fraud, and conspiracy.Like Greenberg, Ellicott had been cooperating with prosecutors in the Gaetz probe for months before formally pleading guilty in an unrelated investigation. His plea deal requires him to "cooperate fully with the United States in the investigation and prosecution of other people," according to court documents.Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/09/florida-man-gaetz-probe-guilty-plea-00007436" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Ellicott's lawyer has previously said those people include Gaetz but that Ellicott is not closely associated with Gaetz, a point Gaetz has also emphasized.Last month, The Daily Beast reported that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/witness-supports-claim-matt-gaetz-told-sex-with-minor-report-2022-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ellicott was with Greenberg</a> when he informed Gaetz in a 2017 phone call that a woman the Florida congressman had had sex with was a minor at the time."Immediately I called the congressman and warned him to stay clear of this person and informed him she was underage," Greenberg <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/joel-greenberg-letter-written-for-roger-stone-says-matt-gaetz-paid-for-sex-with-minor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote in a letter</a> that was sent to the GOP strategist Roger Stone as part of his effort to secure a pardon from then President Donald Trump. He added Gaetz was "equally shocked and disturbed by this revelation" and that "there was no further contact with this individual until after her 18th birthday."Greenberg recently <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/gaetz-friend-joel-greenberg-requests-sentencing-delay-as-he-works-with-feds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requested another delay in his sentencing</a> as he continues working with federal prosecutors.No charges have been brought against Gaetz, but several recent developments indicate the investigation is heating up. Among other things, Gaetz's ex-girlfriend <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/matt-gaetz-ex-girlfriend-testified-grand-jury-sex-trafficking-investigation-2022-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testified before a federal grand jury</a> last month. NBC <keyword id="11893589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news" source="Orion">News</keyword> reported that the ex, whose name Insider is withholding to protect her privacy, had been talking to prosecutors for months and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prosecutor-gave-matt-gaets-ex-immunity-for-grand-jury-testimony-2022-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was granted immunity in exchange for her testimony</a>.NBC also reported that prosecutors are investigating Gaetz for three separate crimes: if he sex-trafficked the 17-year-old; if he violated the Mann Act, which prohibits the transportation of "any woman or girl for the purpose of prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose" across state lines; and if he obstructed justice.With respect to the obstruction probe, investigators are said to be scrutinizing a three-way call after the investigation started between Gaetz, his ex, and another woman who was cooperating with federal authorities and who was reportedly recording the phone call. NBC reported that authorities suspect Gaetz of obstructing justice during that conversation; he's denied the allegation.In addition to denying any wrongdoing, Gaetz has also said that the Justice Department's investigation into him is part of a multimillion dollar extortion plot against his family."After nearly a year of false rumors, not a shred of evidence has implicated Congressman Gaetz in wrongdoing," his chief of staff <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/witness-supports-claim-matt-gaetz-told-sex-with-minor-report-2022-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Insider in a recent statement</a>. "We remain focused on our work representing Floridians."

Another potential witness in the Matt Gaetz sex-crimes investigation just pleaded guilty to federal charges

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A witness told prosecutors that <keyword id="11923746" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="matt-gaetz" source="Orion">Matt Gaetz</keyword> was aware he'd had sex with a minor, per The Daily Beast.</li><li><keyword id="13038904" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="joe-ellicott" source="Orion">Joe Ellicott</keyword> said he was in the room when <keyword id="12251532" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="joel-greenberg" source="Orion">Joel Greenberg</keyword> informed Gaetz in a phone call in 2017.</li></ul>A witness has confirmed to federal prosecutors that Rep. Matt Gaetz was informed in 2017 that he'd had sex with a minor, sources told <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/witness-can-confirm-matt-gaetz-was-told-he-had-sex-with-a-minor">The Daily Beast</a>.In a letter obtained by <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/joel-greenberg-letter-written-for-roger-stone-says-matt-gaetz-paid-for-sex-with-minor">The Daily Beast</a> in April 2021, Gaetz's associate Joel Greenberg said he discovered a girl he and the congressman had engaged in "sexual activities" with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/matt-gaetz-paid-minor-for-sex-joel-greenberg-letter-report-2021-4">was 17 at the time</a>. "Immediately I called the congressman and warned him to stay clear of this person and informed him she was underage," Greenberg wrote, according to the outlet. He added Gaetz was "equally shocked and disturbed by this revelation" and that "there was no further contact with this individual until after her 18th birthday."According to The Daily Beast, someone else was in the room when Greenberg called Gaetz to convey that information: Joe Ellicott, Greenberg's close friend and a former employee at the Seminole County tax office. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/01/26/matt-gaetz-joseph-ellicott/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Both men</a> are now <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joel-greenberg-pleads-guilty-agrees-to-cooperate-against-gaetz-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cooperating</a> with federal investigators in the sex-crimes probe into Gaetz.Ellicott's decision to cooperate is likely bad news for the embattled Florida congressman, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in connection to the sex-trafficking probe."After nearly a year of false rumors, not a shred of evidence has implicated Congressman Gaetz in wrongdoing," his chief of staff <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/witness-sex-trafficking-probe-involving-matt-gaetz-takes/story?id=82484669" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told ABC News</a> on Wednesday. "We remain focused on our work representing Floridians."Among other things, Ellicott and Greenberg reportedly <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/these-text-messages-led-the-feds-to-matt-gaetz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exchanged text messages</a> via the encrypted messaging app Signal, in which Ellicott disclosed that a woman they both were associated with "knew [the minor] was underage the whole time, had sex with her, and they both went to see other guys." Greenberg pleaded guilty to <keyword id="12054528" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sex-trafficking" source="Orion">sex trafficking</keyword> in May and agreed to cooperate fully with the government on other investigations. Ellicott agreed to cooperate this week and will <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/witness-sex-trafficking-probe-involving-matt-gaetz-takes/story?id=82484669" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plead guilty to two federal crimes</a> — conspiracy to commit wire fraud and distribution of a controlled substance — in a case separate from the Gaetz investigation, ABC News reported.No charges have been brought against Gaetz, but several recent developments indicate the investigation is heating up. Among other things, Gaetz's ex-girlfriend <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/matt-gaetz-ex-girlfriend-testified-grand-jury-sex-trafficking-investigation-2022-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testified before a federal grand jury</a> earlier this month. NBC News reported that the ex, whose name Insider is withholding to protect her privacy, has been talking to prosecutors for months and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prosecutor-gave-matt-gaets-ex-immunity-for-grand-jury-testimony-2022-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was granted immunity in exchange for her testimony</a>.NBC also said prosecutors are investigating whether Gaetz sex-trafficked the 17-year-old; if he violated the Mann Act, which prohibits the transportation of "any woman or girl for the purpose of prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose" across state lines; or if he obstructed justice. Gaetz has denied all three claims. With respect to the obstruction probe, investigators are said to be scrutinizing a three-way call after the investigation started between Gaetz, his ex, and another woman who was cooperating with federal authorities and who was reportedly recording the phone call. NBC reported that authorities suspect Gaetz of obstructing justice during that conversation; he's denied the allegation.An attorney for Ellicott declined to comment on reporting about his client's cooperation deal. A spokesperson for Gaetz and a lawyer representing Greenberg did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A witness corroborated the claim that Rep. Matt Gaetz was told in 2017 he'd had sex with a minor, report says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Gaetz's office has repeatedly cast doubt on the credibility of his former wingman <keyword id="2879657" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Joel-Greenberg">Joel Greenberg</keyword>.</li><li>But text messages show that Greenberg may have receipts to back up his allegations against Gaetz.</li><li>"I would not feel really comfortable if I was anyone that had committed a crime with [Greenberg] right now," a former FBI agent told Insider.</li></ul>Since it surfaced that Rep. <keyword id="4142242" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="matt-gaetz">Matt Gaetz</keyword>'s former wingman Joel Greenberg was cooperating with prosecutors in a wide-ranging sex-trafficking investigation, Gaetz has zeroed in on skewering Greenberg's credibility as a witness for the government.But on Friday, <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-shock-jock-texts-that-could-be-critical-in-the-matt-gaetz-probe?ref=home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a Daily Beast report</a> indicated that Greenberg may have receipts to back up his claims."This is not good <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> for Matt Gaetz," <a href="https://www.kroll.com/en/our-team/sherine-ebadi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sherine Ebadi</a>, a former FBI agent who served as the lead agent in the government's case against the former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, told Insider. The text messages detailed in the story do not feature Gaetz. They were between Greenberg and his friend Joe Ellicott, who previously worked for Greenberg when he was a Florida tax collector.According to the report, the texts were exchanged on the encrypted messaging app Signal and with a disappearing time of 30 seconds. But Greenberg took screenshots of the messages, in which he and Ellicott expressed fear that they and others in their circle could face criminal charges for having sex with a minor. Ellicott has not been charged with a crime and did not respond to The Daily Beast's requests for comment.While Gaetz was not a participant in the conversations outlined in the story, legal experts said the existence of the screenshots could spell trouble for the embattled lawmaker as he continues to cast doubt on Greenberg."If Greenberg has texts between himself and Ellicott, it's certainly feasible he has other evidence and was savvy enough to take screenshots of those texts," Ebadi said."It seems to follow that he may have kept all the evidence that he may have needed to use for leverage," she added. "I would not feel really comfortable if I was anyone that had committed a crime with him right now because he's kept files on people, potentially, which could be very damning and very useful to prosecutors."<a href="https://www.thinkbrg.com/people/jeffrey-cramer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeffrey Cramer</a>, a former federal prosecutor who spent 12 years at the Justice Department, echoed that view."Greenberg was thinking four steps ahead of Matt Gaetz," he told Insider, adding that the fact that Greenberg kept records of his conversations "absolutely bolsters his credibility.""You can't cross-examine a screenshot," he said, referring to the text messages. "Greenberg got himself an insurance policy."Gaetz has not been charged with a crime and has denied any wrongdoing. His spokesperson did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on this story.It's routine practice for investigators to search for additional evidence - like electronic records, emails, and financial documents - to corroborate witness testimony. That's especially true for a witness like Greenberg, who was charged with nearly three dozen felonies and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joel-greenberg-pleads-guilty-agrees-to-cooperate-against-gaetz-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pleaded guilty</a> earlier this week to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gaetz-associate-joel-greenberg-doj-plead-guilty-6-felony-counts-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">six of those counts</a>, including carrying out the sex-trafficking of a child."The fact that Greenberg has screenshots of his conversations with someone else, in which they talked about their unlawful activities, that certainly helps his credibility with the feds," <a href="https://westcoasttriallawyers.com/attorneys/neama-rahmani/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Neama Rahmani</a>, a former federal prosecutor who worked on drug and human-trafficking cases, told Insider."This is an admitted felon and someone who's going to be a convicted sex offender," he added. "Prosecutors have to make sure that he's cooperating and being truthful, not just saying what they want to hear to get a reduced jail sentence."As far as the text screenshots go, Ebadi said, "it makes Greenberg's statements more credible when he has proof."<div type="image" title="Matt Gaetz" height="1000" width="2000" msid="82845708" hostid="261"></div><h2>'The way you work your way up to the bigger fish is that you cooperate up'</h2>The investigation into Gaetz centers around whether he violated federal sex-trafficking laws. According to The New York Times, he's suspected of having had sex with someone in 2019 who was 17 years old. That same person was involved in the sex-trafficking count against Greenberg.The Daily Beast previously reported that Greenberg also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/matt-gaetz-paid-minor-for-sex-joel-greenberg-letter-report-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">put it in writing</a> that he and Gaetz had paid for sex with a minor. Greenberg sent the letter to the longtime GOP strategist Roger Stone in a last-ditch bid to obtain a pardon from President Donald Trump in the weeks before he left office in January. And as he did with Ellicott, Greenberg also took screenshots of his conversations with Stone, who has also previously been convicted on felony charges.Ellicott's name surfaced recently after <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/05/20/grand-jury-subpoena-matt-gaetz-489716" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico reported</a> that he was named in a federal grand-jury subpoena that investigators sent to another person.Along with Ellicott, the subpoena mentioned Gaetz, Greenberg, and former Florida state Rep. Halsey Beshears, who knew Gaetz from their time in the Florida statehouse. Beshears also traveled with Gaetz to the Bahamas in 2018, a trip that investigators <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/federal-probe-matt-gaetz-looking-trips-took-bahamas-cbs-news-2021-4?utm_source=notification&amp;utm_medium=referralrral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are scrutinizing</a> as part of their sex-trafficking probe."The way you work your way up to the bigger fish is that you cooperate up," Ebadi said. "So the feds got Greenberg and they could have cooperated him against Ellicott. If they get Ellicott, they might use him to get to Beshears, who they could use, in turn, to get to Gaetz. Taking that sort of path up would not be abnormal at all, and I think it's fairly reasonable."Flipping witnesses to testify against someone higher up in importance is a standard prosecutorial tactic. And if a case like this ends up going to trial, Ebadi said, "when all these people are saying the same thing, that's a lot more powerful, believable testimony than just that of one cooperator who's a convicted felon."

Newly revealed text messages shed light on how Matt Gaetz's wingman could bring about his downfall

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Rep. <keyword id="11923746" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="matt-gaetz" source="Orion">Matt Gaetz</keyword>'s ex-girlfriend testified before a federal grand jury in early January.</li><li>Authorities have already secured the cooperation of <keyword id="12251532" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="joel-greenberg" source="Orion">Joel Greenberg</keyword>, a former Gaetz associate.</li></ul>The Justice Department's wide-ranging sex crimes investigation into Rep. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/matt-gaetz">Matt Gaetz</a> of Florida advanced in dramatic fashion when Gaetz's ex-girlfriend this week testified before a federal grand jury.Her testimony marks a significant victory for prosecutors who for months had sought her cooperation while investigating whether Gaetz, a three-term Republican, broke federal sex-trafficking laws and obstructed justice.Investigators have already secured the cooperation of Joel Greenberg, a former Florida tax official and close associate of Gaetz's, who in 2021 <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joel-greenberg-pleads-guilty-agrees-to-cooperate-against-gaetz-2021-5">pleaded guilty</a> to six felony counts. They include <keyword id="12054528" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sex-trafficking" source="Orion">sex trafficking</keyword>, wire fraud, identity theft, stalking, and conspiracy."I think they are close to wrapping up the investigation," a source, who did not want to be identified and is familiar with the inquiry, told Insider. "They are locking in testimony for witnesses that they think are crucial for a potential trial."Here are 13 key people to watch as investigators close in on Gaetz:<h2>Joel Greenberg, a longtime associate of Gaetz</h2><div type="image" title="Joel Greenberg sits in a chair." height="1833" width="3667" msid="88981863" hostid="261"></div>Greenberg is perhaps the most important witness against Gaetz. The two are longtime former associates and friends, and investigators first became interested in Gaetz while they were conducting a separate sex-trafficking probe into Greenberg.Since he <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joel-greenberg-pleads-guilty-agrees-to-cooperate-against-gaetz-2021-5">pleaded guilty last year</a>, Greenberg's sentencing hearing has been repeatedly rescheduled, indicating that he has information of significant interest for prosecutors in connection to the Gaetz inquiry. He would likely be the star witness against the Florida congressman if Gaetz is indicted and the case goes to trial.Among other things, Gaetz allegedly sent <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/gaetz-paid-accused-sex-trafficker-who-then-venmod-teen">two financial payments</a> through Venmo to Greenberg in 2018 that totaled $900, according to The Daily Beast. The outlet said that Greenberg then wired three financial payments to three different women through the same phone application that totaled the same amount.Greenberg also reportedly said in a <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/gaetz-paid-accused-sex-trafficker-who-then-venmod-teen?ref=scroll">letter to the longtime GOP strategist Roger Stone</a> that the Gaetz <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/gaetz-paid-accused-sex-trafficker-who-then-venmod-teen?ref=scroll">paid to have sex with a minor</a>.<h2>Gaetz's ex-girlfriend, a former Capitol Hill intern</h2>Gaetz's ex-girlfriend used to intern on Capitol Hill. She could be a key witness as investigators build their case against the congressman. Gaetz and his girlfriend were in an <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/01/12/matt-gaetz-sex-trafficking-probe/9190571002/">open relationship</a> in 2017 and 2018, and <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/matt-gaetz-s-ex-girlfriend-testifies-grand-jury-sex-trafficking-n1287352">reports say</a> she traveled with Gaetz and several others to the Bahamas in 2018 as part of a trip that has also drawn investigators' scrutiny. Gaetz's former girlfriend, whose name Insider is withholding to protect her privacy, was seen entering a courthouse with her attorney last week and is said to have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/matt-gaetz-ex-girlfriend-testified-grand-jury-sex-trafficking-investigation-2022-1">provided testimony to a federal grand jury</a> in the investigation. CBS <keyword id="11893589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news" source="Orion">News</keyword> <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/matt-gaetz-ex-girlfriend-immunity-testimony-sexy-trafficking-probe/">reported</a> that she was granted immunity before she testified last week.<h2>Megan Zalonka, former communications director for a marijuana association</h2>Zalonka could also be a potential witness against Gaetz if he is formally charged and the case proceeds to trial. The Daily Beast <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/rep-matt-gaetz-snorted-cocaine-with-megan-zalonka-escort-who-had-no-show-govt-job">reported</a> that Zalonka was one of several women with whom Gaetz paid to have sex.The outlet reported that Gaetz was seen with Zalonka at an Orlando, Florida, fundraiser in 2019. At the time, she was reportedly working as an Instagram model and a paid escort. Zalonka, who is a former communications director for the American Medical Marijuana Physicians Association, has not publicly spoken out about the Gaetz investigation or commented on the Daily Beast's reporting. <h2>Chris Dorworth, a former member of the state legislature </h2>Dorworth is a longtime Gaetz associate. The two men served in the Florida state legislature together.The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/08/us/politics/matt-gaetz-investigation.html">reported</a> that Gaetz and Dorworth discussed inserting a third-party candidate in the 2020 Florida Senate race in order to help Jason T. Brodeur, another associate of Gaetz, win the election.Brodeur ultimately won the seat. However, Dorworth told the outlet that he did not recollect having a discussion with Gaetz about having a third candidate running for the same seat.Dorworth joined Ballard Partners, a lobbying and public affairs firm run by Brian Ballard, a Trump ally, in 2012 but departed the firm shortly after news of the investigation into Gaetz broke. <h2>Halsey Beshears, former Republican state legislator</h2><div type="image" title="Rep. Halsey Beshears, R-Monticello, Tuesday April 4, 2017 reacts on the floor of the House at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phil Sears)" height="1571" width="3143" msid="88981865" hostid="261"></div>Beshears began serving in the Florida State Legislature in 2012. He worked as the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation secretary from 2019 until his resignation last January 2021 because of <a href="https://www.floridadaily.com/dbpr-secretary-halsey-beshears-resigns-due-to-health-reasons/">health reasons.</a> Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/13/gaetz-bahamas-investigation-481273">reported</a> that Beshears was on the plane heading to the Bahamas from Florida with Gaetz and several others in 2018.<h2>Jason Pirozzolo, a Republican donor and marijuana entrepreneur </h2>Pirozzolo is a Florida-based hand surgeon. He also donated to Republican political campaigns.Pirozzolo <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/federal-investigation-into-gaetz-looking-whether-illegally-influenced-cannabis-legislation-2021-4">traveled with Gaetz to the Bahamas in 2018</a>, and CNN reported that federal officials are investigating whether the surgeon tried to improperly get Gaetz to push for pro-cannabis legislation.Sources also <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/matt-gaetz-bahamas-trip-federal-probe-sex-trafficking/">told CBS News</a> that Pirozzolo paid for travel expenses, hotel accommodations, and female escorts on the Bahamas trip. Gaetz has <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/13/gaetz-bahamas-investigation-481273">publicly denied</a> that he paid for sex and had a relationship with a minor.<h2>Savara Hastings, girlfriend of Jason Pirozzolo</h2>Hastings is an executive director at the American Medical Marijuana Physicians Association, according to her <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/savarahastings/">Linkedin profile</a>.She is also Pirozzolo's girlfriend and could be a person of interest for investigators as they probe whether Gaetz had an illegal sexual relationship with a minor.<h2>Joe Ellicott, an associate of Greenberg</h2>Ellicott is a close associate of Greenberg who has now pleaded guilty to several charges, including sex trafficking. The Daily Beast <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/these-text-messages-led-the-feds-to-matt-gaetz">reported</a> that Ellicott and Greenberg exchanges messages using the encrypted messaging app Signal, in which Ellicott disclosed that a woman they both were associated with "knew [the minor] was underage the whole time, had sex with her, and they both went to see other guys."<h2>Venmo and Cash App experts who could testify on payment transactions </h2>If Gaetz is formally charged and the case goes to trial, Venmo and CashApp experts could be asked to testify before a jury, said Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor.Gaetz allegedly sent <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/gaetz-paid-accused-sex-trafficker-who-then-venmod-teen">two financial payments</a> through Venmo to Greenberg in 2018 that totaled $900, according to The Daily Beast. The outlet said that Greenberg then wired three financial payments to three different women through the same phone application that totaled the same amount.Among other things, prosecutors may ask these experts to describe how to make a financial transaction through the applications."In court, you can't just assume that everyone knows what these things mean," Mariotti told Insider.<h2>Unnamed woman Gaetz is suspected of having had sex with when she was a minor </h2>Gaetz's alleged relationship with this woman is at the center of the sex-trafficking investigation. In addition to examining if Gaetz had sex with the girl in 2019, when she was 17 years old and a minor, investigators are also looking into whether the Florida congressman paid for her to travel with him across state lines.If so, this could be a violation of the <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/mann_act#:~:text=The%20Mann%20Act%20(also%20known,for%20any%20other%20immoral%20purpose.%E2%80%9D">Mann Act</a>, which prohibits the transportation of "any woman or girl for the purpose of prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose" across state lines.<h2>Democratic Rep. Darren Soto of Florida</h2><div type="image" title="Rep. Darren Soto" height="511" width="1023" msid="88981867" hostid="261"></div>Soto is a Democratic lawmaker representing Florida's 9th congressional district in the US House of Representatives.He was also the boss to a former Capitol Hill intern who was in an open relationship with Gaetz in 2017 and 2018, reportedly witnessed some of the events that are under prosecutorial scrutiny, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/matt-gaetz-ex-girlfriend-testified-grand-jury-sex-trafficking-investigation-2022-1">testified to a federal grand jury</a> last week.<h2>Roger Handberg, interim US Attorney for the Middle District of Florida</h2>Handberg is the federal prosecutor who is spearheading Greenberg's case. Greenberg's sentencing hearing is <a href="https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2021/10/18/judge-agrees-to-second-delay-in-joel-greenberg-sentencing/">scheduled for March</a>.Last month, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Handberg to be the interim US Attorney for the Middle District of Florida.<h2>Gregory Presnell, judge at the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida</h2>Presnell is presiding over the Greenberg case. He was appointed to his role in 2000 by then-President Bill Clinton.The <a href="https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2006-11-19-omap19-story.html">Orlando Sentinel</a> described Presnell as being a "a fourth-generation Floridian who grew up in St. Petersburg."He graduated from the University of Florida law school with high honors in 1966, according to the outlet.

The legal firestorm around Rep. Matt Gaetz is heating up. Here are 13 key people to watch.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A former Capitol Hill staffer who used to date <keyword id="4142242" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="matt-gaetz">Matt Gaetz</keyword> is cooperating with authorities, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/21/politics/gaetz-investigators-cooperation-ex-girlfriend/index.html">CNN</a> reported. </li><li>His ex-girlfriend is expected to help investigators make sense of hundreds of transaction records, CNN reported.</li><li>Gaetz's lawyers told Insider they are "ready for a fair fight on the facts and the law." </li></ul>Rep. Matt Gaetz's ex-girlfriend will cooperate with authorities as they investigate whether Gaetz broke federal sex-trafficking laws, sources told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/21/politics/gaetz-investigators-cooperation-ex-girlfriend/index.html">CNN</a>.She is the second person in Gaetz's orbit to agree to cooperate with investigators in recent days. On Monday, <keyword id="2879657" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Joel-Greenberg">Joel Greenberg</keyword>, a former Florida county tax collector, pleaded guilty to six felony counts and formally struck a deal with prosecutors in their <keyword id="49112" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Investigation">investigation</keyword> into Gaetz.The New York Times, which first broke the story of the Justice Department's investigation into Gaetz, reported that prosecutors are examining whether the Republican lawmaker violated federal sex-trafficking laws.Gaetz's ex-girlfriend who will cooperate with authorities is a former Capitol Hill staffer and has been linked to him since at least the summer of 2017. She did not work in his office. According to CNN, the woman is expected to help prosecutors understand hundreds of transactions they've obtained records of.Investigators have been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-matt-gaetzs-ex-girlfriend-cooperation-report-2021-5">pushing</a> for her cooperation since earlier this month, CNN reported. Sources did not share with CNN if there is a formal agreement to cooperate."Congressman Gaetz doesn't seem to be named nor referenced in Mr. Greenberg's plea. Congressman Gaetz has never had sex with a minor and has never paid for sex," Gaetz's spokespersona, Harlan Hill, told Insider. "Mr. Greenberg has now pleaded guilty to falsely accusing someone else of sex with a minor. That person was innocent. So is Congressman Gaetz."Neither the ex-girlfriend's lawyer, Timothy Jansen, nor the Department of Justice immediately responded to Insider's request for comment. Gaetz's lawyers, Marc Mukasey and Isabelle Kirshner, told Insider leaks by anonymous sources have compromised the integrity of the investigation. "We're ready for a fair fight on the facts and the law. Anywhere. Anytime," they said. "But the steady stream of leaks by anonymous sources undermines the integrity of this process. It is simply and unequivocally improper."While Gaetz has brushed off the federal investigation into his activities, legal experts have said he faces significant danger given that his wingman - Greenberg - pleaded guilty and has reportedly been cooperating with prosecutors since last year.Earlier Friday, The Daily Beast reported that Greenberg took screenshots of encrypted text messages sent last year between himself and another individual, Joe Ellicott, in which the two men fretted about facing criminal charges for having sex with a minor.According to The New York Times, Gaetz is suspected of having had a sexual relationship with that same minor in 2019.While Gaetz was not a participant in the conversations outlined in the story, legal experts said the existence of the screenshots could spell trouble for the embattled lawmaker as he continues to cast doubt on Greenberg."If Greenberg has texts between himself and Ellicott, it's certainly feasible he has other evidence and was savvy enough to take screenshots of those texts," Sherine Ebadi, a former FBI agent who spearheaded the government's case against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, told Insider."It seems to follow that he may have kept all the evidence that he may have needed to use for leverage," she added. "I would not feel really comfortable if I was anyone that had committed a crime with him right now because he's kept files on people, potentially, which could be very damning and very useful to prosecutors."<a href="https://www.thinkbrg.com/people/jeffrey-cramer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeffrey Cramer</a>, a former federal prosecutor who spent 12 years at the Justice Department, echoed that view."Greenberg was thinking four steps ahead of Matt Gaetz," he told Insider, adding that the fact that Greenberg kept records of his conversations "absolutely bolsters his credibility.""You can't cross-examine a screenshot," he said, referring to the text messages. "Greenberg got himself an insurance policy."

Matt Gaetz's ex-girlfriend will reportedly cooperate with the Justice Department's federal sex-trafficking investigation

<ul><ul class="summary-list"><li>The DOJ's investigation into whether Rep. <keyword id="11923746" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="matt-gaetz" source="Orion">Matt Gaetz</keyword> violated sex-trafficking laws is nearing an end.</li><li>With control of Congress in play, some Republicans are preparing for potential political fallout. </li></ul></ul>Most Republicans are neither embracing nor condemning scandal-ridden Rep. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/matt-gaetz">Matt Gaetz</a>.Yet they may soon face a decision day — one they've been happy to avoid, since Gaetz is one of former President <keyword id="11914386" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="donald-trump" source="Orion">Donald Trump</keyword>'s most vocal defenders — and some Republicans are quietly preparing for the real possibility that federal officials will charge the <keyword id="11910362" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="florida" source="Orion">Florida</keyword> Republican with crimes. Earlier this month, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/matt-gaetz-sex-trafficking-investigation-key-figures-2022-1">Gaetz's ex-girlfriend</a> testified before a federal grand jury. She could be a key witness in the Justice Department's probe into whether the Gaetz violated federal sex-trafficking laws and obstructed justice. And this week <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/florida-shock-jock-joe-ellicott-in-matt-gaetz-circle-pleads-guilty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Beast</a> reported that a potential witness in the case has pleaded guilty in federal court for fraud and illegally selling the drug Adderall, and is cooperating with the Gaetz investigation. "Big Joe" Ellicott, a former Florida shock jock with potentially key information about the sex trafficking ring involving Rep. Matt Gaetz, has pleaded guilty in federal court, The Daily Beast has learned.Luis Alvarado, a Republican political strategist, told Insider that Gaetz has staying power because he still embodies ideals espoused by Trump. Trump, too, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/women-accused-trump-sexual-misconduct-list-2017-12">faced dozens of accusations</a> of sexual assault or misconduct but still won the presidency — and is angling toward another run in 2024 while serving as the Republican Party's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/polls-suggest-trump-and-the-gops-efforts-to-downplay-jan-6-has-worked-2021-12">de facto leader</a>."Matt Gaetz is still a poster boy for Trumpism," Alvarado said. "And if you deny that, then a question arises whether you're still part of that movement."GOP leaders won't begin to more publicly distance themselves from Gaetz until he's formally charged or brought into court, predicted Republican strategist Keith Naughton.Republicans are acutely aware of their <a href="https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/some-early-clues-about-how-the-midterms-will-go/">opportunity to win big</a> in the 2022 <keyword id="12339732" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="midterm-elections" source="Orion">midterm elections</keyword> and control both the House and Senate. Vocally speaking out against Gaetz could complicate their efforts to project unity and win congressional majorities that enable them to stall President Joe Biden's agenda in 2023 and 2024. GOP leaders haven't called on Gaetz to resign or stripped him of his committee assignments. <div type="image" title="kevin mccarthy" height="3168" width="4225" msid="89102140" hostid="261"></div>And Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who is expected to be the next Speaker of the House if Republicans gain a majority, said in April 2020 that those things would happen only if the accusations against Gaetz proved to be true. McCarthy's office did not respond to questions from Insider about whether leadership still stood by that position today. Other GOP leadership offices also ignored questions about what might cause Republican leaders to discipline Gaetz or ask him to resign — whether it be a bombshell interview, charges, an indictment, or a criminal conviction of some sort.No charges against Gaetz have been filed, and he has repeatedly denied that he had sex with a minor, paid for sex, or obstructed justice. Charges <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/31/man-charged-extortion-gaetz-508122">have been brought</a> against Stephen Alford, a Florida developer who tried to extort Gaetz's family over the matter. Joel Greenberg, a former associate of Gaetz, is expected to go before a judge in March to be sentenced after <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joel-greenberg-sentencing-postponed-matt-gaetz-associate-helping-feds-2021-10">pleading guilty to several charges.</a>Gaetz, who won his 2020 election by <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Matt_Gaetz">more than 30 percentage points</a>, is seeking reelection to his congressional seat in November 2022. He had <a href="https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/744/202110159467788744/202110159467788744.pdf">nearly $1.5 million</a> in his campaign account as of September 30, according to federal records.<h2 dir="ltr">Some Republicans are quietly pulling back </h2>But signs are emerging that the Department of Justice investigation is affecting Gaetz's ability to function as a congressman — including his policy-making and relationships with colleagues.Some Republicans, who have never much cared for Gaetz since he entered Congress in 2018, have been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/matt-gaetz-sex-scandal-doj-investigation-republicans-trump-2021-3">privately sneering</a> at him in the months since his legal woes began, Insider previously reported. Other Republicans have given donations from Gaetz's campaign committee, called Friends of Matt Gaetz, to charity, according to Federal Election Commission records. Among them is Republican Rep. John Katko of New York, who <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/disbursements/?committee_id=C00499392&amp;committee_id=C00702449&amp;two_year_transaction_period=2022&amp;line_number=F3-21&amp;data_type=processed">donated $2,000</a> to a Syracuse-based charity called In My Father's Kitchen in April, and later announced he would not seek reelection in 2022. Additionally, campaign-disclosure records show GOP Reps. <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/politics/clout/matt-gaetz-brian-fitzpatrick-campaign-donation-20210409.html">Brian Fitzpatrick</a> of Pennsylvania <a href="https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202107159451324068">gave $2,000</a> to the Bucks County Fraternal Order of Police, and <a href="https://www.axios.com/freshman-lawmmaker-donates-gaetz-contributions-df4f459c-5002-4962-b6bd-7c8216eaa893.html">David Valadao</a> of California <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/disbursements/?committee_id=C00499392&amp;committee_id=C00702449&amp;two_year_transaction_period=2022&amp;line_number=F3-21&amp;data_type=processed">gave $4,000</a> to Marjaree Mason Center, a Fresno-based organization that supports domestic-violence victims.The lawmakers' offices did not respond to Insider's request for comment on why they didn't accept the donations from Gaetz. As long as it looks like Republican leadership is still standing behind Gaetz, the impending investigation won't impact the lawmaker's ability to get political donations for his reelection campaign, Naughton said."You've got to have something really sweeping at the leadership level for it to really have an impact," he said. Gaetz, to some degree, has become marginalized on the policy front. Take <keyword id="11910359" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cannabis" source="Orion">cannabis</keyword> reform, an issue on which Gaetz has been a congressional leader.In November, for the first time in history, a group of House Republicans, led by Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, unveiled a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rep-nancy-mace-on-gop-led-cannabis-legalization-bill-2021-11">bill to legalize cannabis</a>. But missing from the list of sponsors was Gaetz, who has long bucked his party to support legalization, going back to his time as a state representative in the Florida House. He even helped to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/05/27/how-matt-gaetz-helped-make-ron-desantis-491196">convince</a> GOP Gov. <keyword id="11913103" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ron-desantis" source="Orion">Ron DeSantis</keyword> to urge the Florida legislature to lift a state ban on smokable medical cannabis.Asked about Gaetz's omission from the bill, a cannabis-industry source who spoke on condition of anonymity cited the DOJ investigation. "It has been more difficult for him to lead legislative efforts because of the associated issues," the person said. It shows that while Gaetz still has friends in Congress, even his allies are quietly isolating him — or at least not going out of their way to work with him.<div type="image" title="Rep. Matt Gaetz" height="768" width="1024" msid="89102141" hostid="261"></div>Insider asked Gaetz last week whether he thought the Justice Department investigation was impeding his work on Capitol Hill."No," he said. "Actually, I was just talking to Mr. Cicilline about legislation."Mr. Cicilline is Rep. David Cicilline, a Rhode Island Democrat, who confirmed to Insider that Gaetz had "approached me about an idea he had" on antitrust legislation."He's been a very active member of the antitrust subcommittee and has supported our antitrust package," Cicilline said. "So he's been, you know, very serious."As for the Justice Department investigation, Cicilline said: "I don't know anything about that. He's currently a member of Congress serving on that committee. I interact with him in that regard."Gaetz essentially says the same thing about his situation. "I don't know what I don't know," he said. "But I'm focused on the work here." Gaetz has been the lead sponsor on seven bills so far in this congressional session. The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/search?q=%7B%22congress%22%3A%5B%22117%22%5D%2C%22source%22%3A%5B%22legislation%22%2C%22members%22%5D%2C%22search%22%3A%22matt+gaetz%22%2C%22type%22%3A%22bills%22%2C%22house-sponsor%22%3A%22Gaetz%2C+Matt+%5BR-FL%5D%22%7D">one</a> with the largest number of co-sponsors — 19 — would cancel a Washington, D.C., rule forcing customers to show businesses proof that they've received COVID-19 vaccinations. He has co-sponsored 213 other bills. On Monday, Gaetz was one of two Republicans among 27 House members who <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/house-members-ask-leadership-swiftly-bring-stock-trading-ban-pelosi-2022-1">signed a letter</a> asking Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat of California, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican of California, to swiftly consider legislation that would ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks.Gaetz told Insider he couldn't recall whether anyone asked him to co-sponsor the GOP cannabis bill. He instead pointed out that he was the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/3884/cosponsors?q=%7B%22party%22%3A%22Republican%22%7D">only Republican co-sponsor</a> of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, or MORE Act, which he called "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gop-cannabis-federal-legalization-bill-2021-11">far more ambitious</a> in its restorative justice" provisions. The MORE Act passed the House in December 2020 thanks to overwhelming Democratic support, but wasn't taken up by the Senate, which <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marijuana-legalization-federal-decriminalization-congress-democrats-banking-schumber-2021-3">remains opposed to legalization</a>.Rep. Mace's communications director, Barbara Boland, told Insider that "Gaetz didn't ask to sign on" to the GOP legislation. Mace previously <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2021/04/15/third-house-republican-says-he-gave-donation-from-matt-gaetz-to-charity/?sh=78955c9a6237">indicated to Forbes</a> that she wanted to return a donation from Gaetz's campaign committee. She has also gotten into <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-nancy-mace-descend-into-chaotic-twitter-fight-2021-11">Twitter spats</a> with Rep. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mtg-marjorie-taylor-greene-georgia-congressional-district-2021-5">Marjorie Taylor Greene</a>, a close ally of Gaetz. <h2 dir="ltr">Gaetz still has a few allies in Congress </h2>Gaetz's policy backlash hasn't reached the level faced by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, a Democrat often at odds with her party's political orthodoxy, who <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/arizona-democratic-party-unanimously-censure-sen-kyrsten-sinema-filibuster-2022-1">was censured on Saturday by the Arizona Democratic Party</a> after she wouldn't support abolishing the Senate filibuster to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/freedom-to-vote-act-john-lewis-voting-rights-bill-explainer-2022-1">advance Democrat-backed voting-rights legislation</a>. Sinema also recently <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/emily-s-list-naral-pull-support-sinema-over-filibuster-opposition-n1287789">lost endorsements from</a> abortion-rights groups EMILY's List and NARAL Pro-Choice America.Gaetz has been on the opposite end of the <keyword id="11901426" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="abortion" source="Orion">abortion</keyword> debate, consistently voting in favor of limits on the procedure, earning him <a href="https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/117101/matt-gaetz">endorsements</a> from the National Right to Life Committee. Laura Echevarria, spokeswoman for National Right to Life, told Insider that it was too early in the campaign season for endorsements, which happen in the summer. But she added that the group's decision for any candidate would be based on his or her voting record on abortion versus other factors. Recent history has shown that some House members have staying power in Congress despite their scandals. But their colleagues can reach a breaking point when the issues cross into the legal system. Former Rep. Blake Farenthold, a Republican of Texas, faced various sex scandals over the course of seven years before former House Speaker Paul Ryan <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidMDrucker/status/941321477034475521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E941321477034475521%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fnews%2Fthe-fix%2Fwp%2F2017%2F12%2F14%2Fretiring-gop-congressman-blake-farenthold-is-no-stranger-to-weird-sexual-scandals%2F">pressured</a> him in 2018 to resign over a sexual-harassment case. Others, such as former Rep. Mark Foley, a Republican of Florida who sent sexually explicit messages to congressional pages, resigned just days after accusers came out publicly. Then-Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert told reporters he would have demanded Foley be expelled from Congress if he didn't resign. (Hastert himself would later serve prison time for crimes connected to molesting teenage boys.)In 2017, Pelosi worked with the Congressional Black Caucus to pressure former Rep. John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, to resign after he was publicly accused of sexual harassment. But Democrats weren't immediately in lockstep on the issue. The second-in-command Democrat, then Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/steny-hoyer-believes-woman-accusing-john-conyers-of-sexual-misconduct-2017-11">said</a> at the time that the investigation should be allowed to move forward but agreed that Conyers made the right move by stepping down from his role as ranking member. <h2 dir="ltr">'I trust Matt Gaetz' </h2>The same outcry hasn't yet come to a head from congressional Republicans monitoring Gaetz's drama.And Gaetz's defenders continue to stand by him and dispute that the investigation is affecting his work on Capitol Hill. Rep. <keyword id="11917798" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jim-jordan" source="Orion">Jim Jordan</keyword> of Ohio, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, praised Gaetz's contribution to the panel and his work riling up conservatives. Jordan told Insider that the investigation "certainly hasn't changed his ability to go around the country and talk to conservative voters." "I trust Matt Gaetz," Jordan said. "What else do you want me to say?" Since last summer, Gaetz has been on a "Freedom Tour" with Greene, holding rallies to bash COVID restrictions and falsely promote the idea that Trump won his 2020 reelection bid.Greene told Insider that she and Gaetz don't talk about the Justice Department investigation and that "it just doesn't look like there is anything there," because no women had come out publicly. "In my honest opinion I don't think it's affecting him at all," she said. "He has such massive support in his district." "Matt's strong," Greene added. "He's doing fine." Trump, who still has a stronghold on the GOP, doesn't appear to have distanced himself from Gaetz either. A Twitter photo shows Trump posing with Gaetz and his wife, Ginger Luckey, as they rang in the New Year at Mar-a-Lago. One former Justice Department official who spoke with Insider on condition of anonymity predicted that if Gaetz ends up getting charged with human trafficking, Trump would likely turn the charges back on Democrats — perhaps by bringing up <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/these-are-the-sexual-assault-allegations-against-bill-clinton-2017-11">rape accusations</a> against former President Bill Clinton or the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeffrey-epstein-politicians-connections-donations-2019-7">large campaign contributions, mostly to Democrats, </a>made by disgraced financier <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeffrey-epstein-life-biography-net-worth-2019-7">Jeffrey Epstein</a>, who was convicted of sex trafficking underage girls."Gaetz is almost as toxic as <keyword id="11917797" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="marjorie-taylor-greene" source="Orion">Marjorie Taylor Greene</keyword>," the person said. "However, Trump's associates are often slimy or controversial and it doesn't seem to impact his supporters." This story originally ran on January 24 and has been updated to include the most recent development on the case.

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