Two women have filed a civil lawsuit alleging that former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz was involved in a sex trafficking scheme that included a trip to the Bahamas.
The lawsuit, first reported by the Miami Herald, was filed Monday in federal court in Florida. It also names Joel Greenberg, the disgraced former Seminole County tax collector, and Christopher Dorworth, a former Republican state legislator.
In the 33-page complaint, the plaintiffs accuse the men of using money, drugs and personal relationships to arrange sexual encounters with young women.
The plaintiffs are identified in court records as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2. They were 20 and 22, respectively, when they first encountered Gaetz during the summer of 2017.
In a statement to the Miami Herald, Gaetz said, “I look forward to taking the plaintiffs’ depositions because much of the conduct alleged against me is false.”
The women allege that Greenberg contacted them while they were experiencing financial difficulties and recruited them through SeekingArrangement.com, a sugar-dating website known for connecting wealthy men with younger partners.
According to the complaint, Greenberg then introduced the women to Gaetz, Dorworth and other men.
The alleged sexual encounters occurred at private residences and parties, where the women say drugs were present.
Two Jane Does have filed a civil lawsuit accusing former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz of taking part in an alleged sex trafficking operation that included a trip to the Bahamas.
The women allege that the encounters occurred at private homes and parties where drugs were involved. Jane Doe 1 says she was paid more than $6,000, while Jane Doe 2 alleges she received more than $4,000.
“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,” Gaetz told the Miami Herald.
The complaint identifies the Bahamas, New York City, Miami, Las Vegas and the Florida Keys as destinations connected to the alleged encounters.
It also outlines payments the women say they received from Gaetz.
Jane Doe 1 alleges that she was paid more than $6,000, while Jane Doe 2 says she received over $4,000.
Some of the payment descriptions allegedly included phrases such as “Love you,” “Being my friend” and “car deductible.”
Jane Doe 1 also claims she witnessed Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old girl identified in the lawsuit as “Victim A.”
The teenager, who was underage at the time, is not a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
“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,” Gaetz told the Miami Herald.
Gaetz also shared a photo from an Instagram account showing three women with the caption, “Bahamas, beers and babes is all you ever need.” He added his own caption: “Jane Doe Strikes Again! Two adult women sued me today alleging they were sex trafficked to the Bahamas. I’m shocked nobody responded to their repeated cries for help, posted to instagram.”
When Our News Outlet asked Gaetz whether the women named in the lawsuit were the same women shown in the photo he shared on X, he said:
‘This is a picture of 3 women in the Bahamas posting about what a good time they are having on vacation. You should ask the attorney for the plaintiffs if their clients are pictured. I think they are.’
Our News Outlet reached out to Florida attorney Spencer Kuvin, who filed the lawsuit for comment on Gaetz sharing the Instagram photo.
Though Kuvin could neither confirm nor deny if the women in the photo are the Jane Does, he called Matt Gaetz ‘disgusting’ and said he has no idea who the anonymous women are.
‘Even if he were thinking it’s one of them, he’s trying to dox them online, which is further abuse,’ Kuvin told Our News Outlet.
‘If he wants to testify under oath, under penalty of perjury, tell him we’re ready to take his deposition tomorrow.’
The women argue that the significant age gap between them and Gaetz was used to exploit their circumstances and keep them from coming forward.
According to the filing, Gaetz was 15 years older than the first plaintiff and 13 years older than the second.
The lawsuit further alleges that Greenberg and Dorworth helped shield Gaetz from scrutiny.
The men are accused of arranging or paying for travel involving the plaintiffs, other alleged victims and prominent political figures.
Greenberg, who is serving an 11-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to multiple offenses, including sex trafficking a minor, is also accused of using money from a range of transactions to pay women for commercial sex acts.
The plaintiffs are also pursuing claims against Greenberg Dental Associates LLC and other companies linked to Greenberg’s family.
The filing alleges that more than 150 such transactions, worth over $70,000 in total, took place between December 2016 and December 2018.
Some were allegedly charged to an American Express card belonging to the tax collector’s office, with expense descriptions including ‘school’ and ‘ice cream.’
Kuvin’s lawsuit references findings from a separate House Ethics Committee investigation into Gaetz’s conduct while in Congress.
