The single most important witness in the case against Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has reached an immunity deal with federal prosecutors and agreed to testify against him, according to a report from NBC News, and that’s the surest sign yet the Florida congressman is indeed going to be indicted on charges of sexually trafficking underage girls, a crime which could potentially send Gaetz to prison for the rest of his life.
Recently, Gaetz’s former girlfriend testified before a federal grand jury, a move that one former prosecutor called “diabolical but brilliant.”
NBC senior national reporter Marc Caputo says that the latest testimony and plea deal suggests that the chances of Gaetz being indicted are significantly greater than they were a week ago:
“When this broke, the ex-girlfriend was talking to another woman who was talking to prosecutors that felt the woman may have recorded the call and may have patched in Matt Gaetz at the time and prosecutors suspect he tried to elicit or entice or suborn obstruction of justice and his ex-girlfriend may have participated in that. That was the basis of her getting an immunity deal; ‘don’t charge me for this and I’ll tell you the things you want to know.'”
Caputo then added:
“Exactly what she told them is key but what’s important to note here is that she’s an important bridge that unlocks the case or unstalls it. It was stuck in neutral. Now the case is clearly going forward. I can’t promise he’s going to be indicted but the chances are higher.”
The fact that the woman is Gaetz’s former paramour and not his wife is also significant, according to MSNBC legal analyst Danny Cevallos:
There are exactly zero “girlfriend” testimonial privileges. It doesn’t matter if the girlfriend has lived with the boyfriend for years. It doesn’t matter if they have kids together. A girlfriend is not a wife — but she is a potential gold mine for prosecutors. They have a witness who often knows the target as well as a spouse would, but who can be questioned, cajoled and subpoenaed without worrying about any of those pesky privilege barriers.
Gaetz was already in BIG trouble, but now he’s officially toast.
