Tag: Sex Scandals

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Congress GOP Sex Scandals

Latest Court Filing Is The Worst Possible News For Matt Gaetz

As Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL) prepares to steer a course for his reelection effort in November, an ominous new court filing in the Sunshine State is certain to have him and his attorneys very worried, as the lead witness against him is making it clear that he is naming names and not leaving anyone out of the rapidly expanding sex trafficking scandal that threatens to send Gaetz to federal prison for the rest of his life.

According to Newsweek, the filing suggests that federal investigators are determined to get to the bottom of not only any alleged crimes Gaetz may have committed, but also those of anyone even remotely associated with him:

Joel Greenberg, an associate of Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, has highlighted his cooperation with numerous investigations ahead of his sentencing for child sex trafficking crimes being set.

Greenberg is facing 12 years in jail after he pleaded guilty to six federal crimes, including sex trafficking of a child, identity theft, stalking, wire fraud, and conspiracy to bribe a public official.

Prior to his sentencing date, Greenberg’s lawyer filed a motion on Tuesday asking a judge for permission to submit additional information to the court under seal related to his cooperation in other criminal investigations.

Of special concern to Gaetz and others in his orbit is this line from Greenberg’s attorney, Fritz Scheller:

“Pursuant to his plea agreement with the Government and to mitigate the significant penalties he faces, Mr. Greenberg has been cooperating with federal prosecutors in active investigations currently being conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida and the Department of Justice in Washington D.C. as well as in other jurisdictions.”

The “other jurisdictions” reference is certain to send a chill up the spine of Gaetz and anyone who has been associated with him over the past few years because it suggests the investigation could wind up ensnaring other members of Congress who have even tangential ties to Gaetz.

Greenberg alleges that he and Gaetz had sex with multiple underage girls who were then given cash or gifts in exchange. Since they also allegedly took those girls across state lines, they committed the federal crime of sexually trafficking minors. The penalty for that offense can be as severe as life imprisonment.

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Crime GOP Sex Scandals

Immunity Deal For Key Female Witness Means Matt Gaetz’s Goose Is Cooked: Report

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.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uwTP7ohxQs&feature=emb_logo
 

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.

 

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Crime Donald Trump

Ghislaine Maxwell’s Sexual Trafficking Trial Begins Monday – That’s Bad News For Donald Trump

 


On Monday in a Manhattan federal court, the trial of Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime confidant, Ghislaine Maxwell, will begin with opening arguments in what could wind up giving the public a much better idea what sort of sordid underworld Epstein and his male friends — including former President Donald Trump — were part of, including allegations of sexually abusing and trafficking girls as young as 14.

According to NPR, the charges against Maxwell are indeed serious:

Maxwell has been in jail since her arrest in July 2020, when she was charged with enticing a minor to travel to engage in criminal sexual activity, transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, conspiracy to commit both of those offenses, and perjury in connection with a sworn deposition.

If found guilty, Maxwell could wind up spending decades behind bars.

While testimony will likely focus on how Maxwell selected and groomed underage girls for Epstein and his friends to abuse, of special interest will be the book of contacts she kept over the years when she allegedly helped set up Epstein’s depraved assignations:

Prosecutors have said they will be using some parts of Maxwell’s book of contacts, which has captured the imaginations of followers of this case. Maxwell and Epstein moved in wealthy and famous circles, and there has been much speculation over whether some of their acquaintances participated in the alleged exploitation of young girls.

 

Among the men who were reportedly friends with Epstein and may have participated in the abuse of young girls is a list that reads like a who’s who of the rich and famous, including Trump, former President Bill Clinton, and Prince Andrew of the British royal family. If prosecutors prove that any of those friends did indeed take part in the sexual assault and trafficking of underage girls, it could lead to new charges against any and all of them, which would prove to be especially worrisome for Trump, who is already facing legal investigations on multiple fronts and who says he has plans to run for president once again in 2024.

The most disturbing allegation ever made against Trump came from a girl who claimed he and Epstein repeatedly raped her when she was only 13:

Court documents spell out the alleged attack:

Jane Doe is an unnamed plaintiff, who has also gone by “Katie Johnson” in legal papers. She claims she was repeatedly raped by Trump and Jeffery Epstein at Epstein’s New York City apartment in 1994, when she was 13 years old. Shortly after this sexual assault by the Defendant, Jeffrey E. Epstein, on the Plaintiff, Katie Johnson, Plaintiff Johnson was still present while the two Defendants were arguing over who would be the one to take Plaintiff Johnson’s virginity. The Defendant, Donald J. Trump, was clearly heard referring to Defendant, Jeffrey E. Epstein, as a ‘Jew Bastard’ as he yelled at Defendant Epstein that clearly, he, Defendant Trump, should be the lucky one to ‘pop the cherry’ of Plaintiff Johnson.”

Johnson later withdrew her lawsuit, saying she he had been threatened and feared for her life if she continued:

Trump allegedly threatened to harm or kill Johnson and her family if she ever told anyone. Johnson said Trump told her he could make them “disappear” like Maria — a 12-year-old girl Johnson says Trump also forced her to have sexual contact with, and whom Johnson hadn’t seen since that encounter.

Does Maxwell have any information about Trump and the alleged rape of Katie Johnson? That could wind up coming out at her trial, and it remains a possibility that Maxwell may agree to cooperate with prosecutors once she sees the evidence against her.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump sits and waits to see if his name enters the public record as Maxwell faces the bar of justice.

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GOP Ron DeSantis

DeSantis Allegedly Attended Party With Underage Girls And Alcohol While Teaching At High School

Shortly after he graduated from college and prior to attending law school, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took a job as a history teacher at the Darlington School in Rome, Georgia. His hiring was announced in a 2001 newsletter published by the school:

Ron DeSantis is joining the Upper School history department. DeSantis earned bachelor’s degrees in history and political science from Yale University, New Haven, Conn. While at Yale, he worked for the political science department, the athletic department, and the university sports camp. He has work experience with the Sonic Corporation and the office of Senator Connie Mack.

But it turns out that DeSantis was more than just a teacher while at Darlington, according to Hill Reporter:

His students would have been high school co-eds, teenagers, some of whom would have been living on-campus. According to our whistleblower, he had a reputation among students for being a young “hot teacher” who girls loved, and the girls in the photo are believed to have graduated in 2002, making them seniors at the time.

The photo shows a person purported to be DeSantis, in a group embrace with several young girls, one of whom is holding what appears to be a glass beer bottle. The source who provided the photo says that it was taken prior to graduation — meaning the young girls would still have been DeSantis’ responsibility at the time. It is not clear whether any of them were legal adults, though they would have been too young to purchase alcohol.

Of course, DeSantis isn’t the only Florida politician who seems to have an affinity for young girls. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is current the subject of a wide-ranging federal investigation that reportedly involves the congressman taking underage girls across state lines and paying them, which is sexual trafficking of a minor. And that investigation could also wind up ensnaring the governor, who is up for reelection next year:

Still, the investigation may be moving uncomfortably close to the governor’s office. Besides Gaetz himself, the influential Florida political figures under federal scrutiny include Jason Pirozzolo, a hand surgeon and DeSantis campaign donor, and DeSantis’ political appointee Halsey Beshears, the state’s former top business regulator.

DeSantis has yet to respond to the photo or other revelations from Hill Reporter.

Categories
Congress Crime Sex Scandals

Florida Bar Suspends Matt Gaetz From Practicing Law

 

The bad news just keeps rolling in for embattled Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who is reportedly under investigation for sexually trafficking underage girls.

The Daily Beast reports that the Florida Bar Association has suspended Gatez from practicing law in his home state:

As of Wednesday, Gaetz had not paid the fees he owes to The Florida Bar, which regulates lawyers there, prompting the organization to deem him “delinquent” and “not eligible to practice law in Florida.”

As you might expect, rather than be forthright about not paying the required money, Joel Valdez, a spokesperson for Gaetz tried to spin the latest humiliation for the congressman:

“Congressman Gaetz is no longer actively engaged in the practice of law. He is focused on representing his constituents in Congress, not the courtroom.”

However, attorneys who spoke to Daily Beast reporter Jose Pagliery said that sounds like a load of bull:

That explanation may sound reasonable enough. But four attorneys who spoke to The Daily Beast noted that it is extremely rare for lawyers to do this. Instead, attorneys taking a step back from their legal duties normally pay a smaller $175 fee to remain “inactive” but still a “member in good standing.

“He clearly doesn’t take his law license very seriously when he doesn’t take the time to pay the $265 dues,” said Daniel Uhlfelder, a Santa Rosa Beach attorney who lives in Gaetz’s district. “He’s not a serious lawyer. He’s not a serious congressman. He’s not a serious person. This is one small but symbolic example of that.”

The real reason Gaetz isn’t paying his dues to the Bar Association is probably so he can avoid having his law license revoked as more evidence continues to come to light regarding his alleged sexual misconduct with minors, according to Cris Dosev, a real estate developer who ran against Gaetz in the GOP primary last year:

“It might be a calculated move. I think he’s preemptively trying to remove a level of scrutiny from the Bar.”

This has been the proverbial “week from hell” for Gaetz, with his former “wingman,” Seminole County, Florida, tax collector Joel Greenberg receiving a four month delay in his sentencing as he continues to cooperate with federal prosecutors as they investigate whether or not the congressman sexually exploited underage girls.

If convicted of sexually trafficking minors across state lines, Gaetz could be sentenced to life in prison.