Two women have filed a lawsuit against former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, alleging that he engaged in a sex trafficking operation while serving in Congress. The lawsuit, reported by the Miami Herald, claims that Gaetz, along with former state legislator Chris Dorworth and former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg, participated in the recruitment and sexual exploitation of the plaintiffs, referred to as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2.
The civil complaint, filed in federal court, states that the alleged incidents occurred between 2017 and January 2019, when Jane Doe 1 was 20 and Jane Doe 2 was 22. The lawsuit alleges that Greenberg recruited the women through the sugar dating website SeekingArrangement.com before introducing them to Gaetz, Dorworth, and other men. Greenberg and Gaetz are accused of coordinating recruitment, payments, drugs, and travel to obtain commercial sexual acts from young women, while Dorworth is said to have knowingly participated in these activities at his Central Florida home.
Greenberg, currently serving an 11-year federal sentence for multiple charges, including sex trafficking of a minor, is a convicted felon. Gaetz, who was President Donald Trump's first choice for attorney general after the 2024 election, withdrew his nomination amid a House investigation into sexual misconduct allegations, which included claims of soliciting prostitutes and having sex with a minor.
A House Ethics Committee report cited substantial evidence that Gaetz had allegedly engaged in sexual acts with a 17-year-old girl in 2017. Jane Doe 1 corroborated this allegation in the lawsuit, claiming to have witnessed Gaetz with the minor, referred to as 'Victim A.'
Gaetz did not respond immediately to a request for comment. However, he stated that he looks forward to taking the plaintiffs' depositions, asserting that much of the conduct alleged against him is false. He criticized the Congressional Committee Report for not allowing him to confront his accusers.
In a social media post, Gaetz appeared to share information about the plaintiffs, stating, 'Jane Doe strikes again!' and commenting on the lawsuit's claims. Florida lawyer Spencer Kuvin, representing Jane Does 1 and 2, responded to Gaetz's post, suggesting that his actions could worsen his situation and indicating that they are documenting his statements for the federal judge.