Matt Gaetz’s Troubling Legal History Cast Shadow Over His Attorney General Nomination

Content warning: This article mentions sexual harassment, sex trafficking, and abuse.

Since winning the 2024 presidential election, former president Donald Trump has been unveiling his cabinet picks one by one — each more outrageous than the last.

But his latest nomination might just take the cake: Trump has named Rep. Matt Gaetz as his pick for attorney general.

This is easily Trump's most shocking nomination yet — and for good reason. For those who've forgotten (or are simply unaware), Gaetz was once at the center of a sex trafficking investigation.

It's a pick that raises eyebrows, to say the least! Here's what you need to know about Matt Gaetz's tangled legal issues.

Before the sex trafficking investigation, Matt Gaetz had a few other legal issues. In 2008, he was arrested for DUI in Okaloosa Island, Fla., after being caught speeding. Though he initially denied drinking, Gaetz later admitted to having two beers. He failed an eye test twice and refused to take field sobriety or breathalyzer tests.

Despite Florida law requiring a one-year license suspension for refusing a breathalyzer, Gaetz's suspension was unusually short, and the charges were ultimately dismissed. A Florida officer even claimed there was no evidence Gaetz refused the test, though it was documented by both the arresting officer and Gaetz's attorney.

Then, in September 2023, Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide, accused Gaetz of repeated harassment in her memoir Enough. She described an incident at Camp David in 2020, where Gaetz allegedly interrupted a meeting and asked her to "escort" him to his room. Gaetz has since denied the allegations.

In January 2020, Matt Gaetz became the subject of a federal investigation into alleged sex trafficking due to his connection to Joel Greenberg, the Seminole County tax collector who was later indicted on charges related to sex trafficking a 17-year-old girl. 

Greenberg, who was involved in various illegal activities, seemingly created fake IDs to facilitate the trafficking of young women. The investigation soon expanded to include Gaetz, who was accused of paying the same minor to travel with him across state lines.

Authorities also investigated whether Gaetz used campaign funds for personal expenses, including those related to his associations with young women.

A key part of the investigation involved a 2018 trip to the Bahamas, where Gaetz was reportedly accompanied by Jason Pirozzolo, a hand surgeon and marijuana entrepreneur.

Pirozzolo allegedly covered the whole trip's expenses, including the hotel, travel, and escort services. Investigators eventually looked into whether the escorts were trafficked for Gaetz and whether political favors were exchanged in return.

Gaetz's financial transactions also came under scrutiny, including Venmo records from May 2018, which showed Gaetz sending $900 to Greenberg, who then transferred the money to women with notes referring to "tuition" and "school."

The investigation suggested these exchanges may have been tied to sex trafficking.

By 2022, the scope of the investigation had broadened to include potential charges of obstruction of justice, as Gaetz was believed to have attempted to influence or intimidate witnesses. Federal investigators also looked into his communications with Greenberg, as well as his participation in conversations with women he met online.

Essential pieces of evidence included text messages and payment records that suggested Gaetz had participated in illegal activities involving young women. Despite these findings, the Department of Justice ultimately decided not to pursue charges against Gaetz in 2023.

While the federal investigation concluded without charges, Gaetz's legal issues were far from over. In 2023, the House Ethics Committee reopened its own investigation.

The committee examined new evidence, including testimony from Gaetz’s ex-girlfriend, who had acquired immunity for her testimony in the criminal case. 

The investigation continued into 2024, but by November, Gaetz resigned from Congress, causing the Ethics Committee to lose jurisdiction over the case.