Former Representative Matt Gaetz is facing allegations of sex trafficking from two women who filed a civil lawsuit against him and two other men in federal court on October 15, 2026. The women, identified as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, allege that Gaetz, former Florida state Representative Chris Dorworth, and Joel Greenberg, a former tax collector in Florida’s Seminole County, engaged in "recruitment and sexual exploitation" from 2017 through January 2019, during Gaetz's tenure in Congress. The lawsuit references a House Ethics Committee report that concluded Gaetz paid approximately a dozen women for sex between 2017 and 2020.
The plaintiffs' complaint also cites Greenberg’s plea agreement, in which he admitted to engaging in commercial sex acts with a minor referred to as "Victim A" and introducing her to other adult men who also engaged in commercial sex acts with her in the Middle District of Florida. Greenberg is currently serving an 11-year federal prison sentence for sex trafficking and fraud convictions.
The accusers claim that Gaetz and Greenberg "coordinated the recruitment, payments, drugs, and travel to obtain commercial sexual acts from young women," while accusing Dorworth of "knowingly" participating. According to the complaint, Greenberg met and recruited the two women through a "sugar daddy" website, where older wealthy men connect with younger women for companionship in exchange for payment. The lawsuit alleges that Gaetz and Greenberg had sexual relations with the women, compensated them, and took them on trips in Florida and elsewhere.
The 38-page complaint, filed in the Middle District Court of Florida, characterizes the defendants as "men of power, wealth, and privilege who used their positions not to protect the vulnerable but to prey upon them." It states that one of the women was 20 years old when she met Gaetz, now 44, and the other was 22 when she first met Greenberg, now 42.
In a statement to the Miami Herald, which first reported the news, Gaetz called the allegations "false" and stated that the lawsuit "relies almost exclusively on a Congressional Committee report that didn’t allow me to confront my accusers. Now I will finally have that chance." The House Ethics Committee report Gaetz referenced indicates that officials sought to informally interview him and subpoenaed him for testimony, which he declined.
Later on the same day, Gaetz appeared to disclose the identity of at least one of the women by posting a screenshot of an Instagram post from one of the trips mentioned in the complaint, to the Bahamas. The attorney representing the women, Spencer Kuvin, confirmed to MS NOW that both Jane Does had spoken to the House Ethics Committee. In response to Gaetz’s social media post, Kuvin stated, "It is disgusting to me that Mr. Gaetz, without even knowing whether these are my clients, is nonetheless trying to embarrass these women. We will be happy to litigate the issues in Court, and we hope that Mr. Gaetz ceases his infantile behavior in trying to blame the victims of sex crimes."
Dorworth did not immediately respond to multiple requests for comment. The lawsuit also names three companies allegedly owned and operated by Greenberg’s family, claiming they "supplied the money that funded these illicit acts," including for drugs and travel, as well as direct payments to the women. The plaintiffs are suing under federal laws aimed at combating sex trafficking and are seeking a jury trial.
Fritz Scheller, who has represented Joel Greenberg in his criminal and related civil matters, stated he is not involved in this case at this time. He expressed surprise and concern regarding the inclusion of Greenberg’s parents and their associated entities in the lawsuit.
Civil lawsuits under the federal sex trafficking statute require plaintiffs to prove that the defendants engaged in commercial sex acts and used fraud, force, or coercion. The women allege that the defendants defrauded and coerced them by making irregular payments or paying less than promised; maintaining their financial instability and dependency; providing drugs; and conditioning their access to "outings and privileges" on their performance of sexual acts for Gaetz. Each woman claims she believed she would suffer "serious financial harm" if she ceased performing the sex acts.
Gaetz resigned from Congress in November 2024 when then-President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate him for attorney general, a position he later withdrew from amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations, which he denied. Since then, he has worked as a host at One America News Network.
Gaetz was also the subject of a Department of Justice investigation, which concluded in 2023 without charges. Reports indicated that DOJ lawyers were concerned about the credibility of several witnesses if the case proceeded to trial.
Civil lawsuits under the federal sex trafficking statute must be filed within 10 years of the alleged trafficking, assuming the victim was 18 years old or older at the time. Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and family members of Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s alleged victims, have advocated for "Virginia’s Law," a proposed bill aimed at eliminating the statute of limitations for claims similar to those brought by the women against Gaetz.