Politics

Florida State Attorney Reveals Whether He Believes Matt Gaetz Will Face Charges Following House Ethics Report

Rep. Matt Gaetz speaking to reporters in the U.S. Capitol, Oct. 23, 2023. (Screen Capture/CSPAN)

Florida state attorney Dave Aronberg said Monday that former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida is unlikely to face criminal charges despite the allegations detailed in the House Ethics Committee’s report.

The committee’s report accuses Gaetz of breaching Florida’s statutory rape law by allegedly paying a 17-year-old-girl $400 in exchange for sex, claiming that the girl did not disclose her age and the former congressman did not ask. Aronberg, on “ABC News Live,” said the fact that Attorney General Merrick Garland’s Justice Department declined to charge Gaetz, along with potential difficulties in corroborating the allegations, indicate the former congressman will evade criminal charges.

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“I think that if the Merrick Garland Justice Department decided they would not bring charges against Matt Gaetz, then the Donald Trump Justice Department certainly won’t either,” Aronberg said. “Especially because, remember, Matt Gaetz was appointed attorney general of the United States by Donald Trump until he had to withdraw his nomination, even after all this stuff was out there … I think at the federal level, there will not be a prosecution in that case.”

“Now it’s always possible that state prosecutors can prosecute Gaetz for the child sex trafficking. There is no statute limitations for that crime. But you’d have to have solid proof that not only did he have sex with the then 17-year-old girl, but that he paid her,” he continued. “And according to the report that has been released, at least a part we know, he paid her $400 in cash, not Venmo. The Venmo came later. So it’s going to be much harder to prove there was a payment of money in exchange for sex. So I don’t anticipate there will be criminal charges against Matt Gaetz.”

There were at least 20 instances from 2017-2020 where Gaetz allegedly paid women for sex or illicit drugs, according to the report.

“In my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated — even some I never dated but who asked,” Gaetz wrote on X on Dec. 18. “I dated several of these women for years. I NEVER had sexual contact with someone under 18. Any claim that I have would be destroyed in court – which is why no such claim was ever made in court.”

“It’s embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life,” he added. “I live a different life now.”

President-elect Donald Trump chose Gaetz to be his attorney general in November, but the former congressman withdrew from consideration the same month. He asserted on X at the time that his confirmation for the position was “unfairly becoming a distraction” to the efforts of Trump’s transition.

“There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General,” the former congressman wrote. “Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.”

Gaetz clarified shortly after that he would not be joining the 119th Congress following his resignation from the 118th after Trump named him to be his attorney general.

The former congressman is set to join the primetime lineup of the conservative One America News Network in January.