On Wednesday, the Department of Justice announced it would not pursue criminal charges against Representative Matt Gaetz, R-Fl, about a sex trafficking probe that began in late 2020.
Gaetz’s lawyers, who along with him have long maintained his innocence, made the announcement after criminal prosecutors told the Washington Post in late 2022 that they advised against prosecuting the Florida Congressman.
“We have just spoken with the DOJ and have been informed that they have concluded their investigation into Congressman Gaetz and allegations related to sex trafficking and obstruction of justice and they have determined not to bring any charges against him,” Gaetz’s lawyers, Marc Mukasey and Isabelle Kirshner, said in a statement.
BREAKING: DOJ formally decides not to charge Congressman Matt Gaetz in sex-trafficking probe. Prosecutors have been informing witnesses today of final decision by DOJ leadership after investigators recommended not moving forward back in the fall. More to come on @CNN
— Paula Reid (@PaulaReidCNN) February 15, 2023
Gaetz’s office released a statement that said, “The Department of Justice has confirmed to Congressman Gaetz’s attorneys that their investigation has concluded and that he will not be charged with any crimes.”
While conservatives were quick to celebrate Gaetz’s exoneration and chastise media coverage of the accusations, liberals expressed outrage that prosecutors did not prosecute him despite an apparent lack of evidence.
Gaetz’s opponent in the 2022 election, Rebekah Jones, claimed that he was not prosecuted because he is a ‘rich’ and ‘white’ male.
BREAKING:
The Justice Department informed one of @mattgaetz victims that despite the evidence and testimony, they will not be prosecuting Gaetz for sex trafficking at this time.The other charges/investigations remain open, and the @FBI now has evidence of multiple other crimes,… https://t.co/OJfSO9eT0V
— Rebekah Jones (@GeoRebekah) February 15, 2023
Jones has faced legal trouble after being accused of illegally accessing Florida Department of Health (FDOH) data. Instead of contesting the charges, Jones admitted guilt in a plea deal with Florida prosecutors.
Some went so far as to accuse the Department of Justice under Democratic President Joe Biden of being corrupt.
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“Matt Gaetz will not be charged with sex trafficking even though the victim and his friend Greenberg were willing to testify AND we had Venmo receipts. DOJ is corrupt. There is no other explanation.” One left-leaning account said on Twitter.
BREAKING: Matt Gaetz will not be charged with sex trafficking even though the victim and his friend Greenberg were willing to testify AND we had Venmo receipts.
DOJ is corrupt. There is no other explanation. https://t.co/tthMGgA1d4— Duty To Warn 🔉 (@duty2warn) February 15, 2023
Another user seemed to adopt the Stalinist ‘Show me the man, and I’ll show you the crime’ mentality, saying that the Department of Justice should invent another crime to prosecute Gaetz for since they lacked evidence for these charges.
“Then they damn well better be going after him for sedition! His daddy can’t buy his way out of that!” The user said.
Then they damn well better be going after him for sedition! His daddy can’t buy his way out of that!
— PeriwinkleRose 🌺 (@PeriwinkleRose3) February 15, 2023
The investigation also marred the reputation of some of Gaetz’s associates, including Dr. Jason Pirozzolo, who accompanied Gaetz on a 2018 trip to the Bahamas that was a key focus of investigators. Pirozzolo lost his medical practice due to the investigation that the Department of Justice has now said will not result in criminal charges.
In a statement, his attorney, David Haas, said, “Today we were informed by the Department of Justice that it is ending its investigation… Dr. Pirozzolo requests that he and his family’s privacy be respected as the last few years have been extremely difficult to endure.”
John Clune, the lawyer representing the young woman whose accusations launched the investigation against Gaetz, released a statement to the media on Wednesday., “Our client was recently notified by the Department of Justice of their decision not to prosecute this matter.”
“She understands the decision and is grateful for the Department’s hard work and support during this difficult experience,” Clune said. “Neither she nor her counsel will have any further comment at this time.”
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