Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-Fla.) former girlfriend has expressed fears that a woman who is allegedly a sex-trafficking victim of the Florida lawmaker recorded a call with her, raising the prospect that a second cooperating witness is working with prosecutors in their investigation of the matter.
The lawmaker is accused of traveling with the woman over state lines for sex when she was 17 years old in violation of sex trafficking laws.
Gaetz’s former girlfriend raised the concerns with two of her friends, who then relayed them to Politico. She told her associates the alleged victim and another person recorded a call in which they discussed Gaetz, seemingly in an attempt to incriminate the Florida lawmaker.
The three participants of the call were all on a September 2018 trip to the Bahamas with Gaetz and two other Florida politicians. The trip is under investigation on suspicion that some of the women there engaged in prostitution.
The report comes days after it was revealed that Joel Greenberg, a former Florida tax collector indicted in the Justice Department’s investigation into possible sex crimes that also includes Gaetz, is cooperating with federal authorities.
Greenberg has told investigators that he and Gaetz encountered multiple women who were given monetary payments or gifts in exchange for sex.
Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing amid a slew of allegations, including the sex trafficking claim and that he’s made payments in exchange for sex, taken mood-altering illicit drugs and showed lawmakers nude photos of women with whom he’s had sexual relations.
Gaetz has faced increasing calls to resign over the allegations, though he has repeatedly vowed not to step down and Republicans have said they would wait to see if any charges are filed before leveling any punishment against him.