How Matt Gaetz's Ex Girlfriend Got Involved With His Legal Drama

Before getting tapped to serve as attorney general in Donald Trump's second cabinet, scandalous former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz was perhaps best known for being investigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for sex trafficking and statutory rape. First reported by the New York Times, Gaetz was accused of engaging in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old in 2017 and paying for the victim to travel with him across state lines, a violation of federal sex-trafficking laws. A key piece of evidence in the DOJ's investigation was the testimony of Gaetz's ex-girlfriend, who agreed to testify against him before a federal grand jury in 2022. 

According to NBC News, it's believed Gaetz's ex-girlfriend — who remains anonymous — agreed to testify as part of an immunity deal to avoid obstruction of justice charges stemming from a phone call she had with a witness. Per reporting by Politico, the ex-girlfriend patched Gaetz in on the call, raising questions as to whether he attempted to sway the witness' testimony. Prior to her cooperation with the investigation, his ex-girlfriend made headlines for another phone call, this time with the alleged sex-trafficking victim, who she accused of trying to get her to incriminate Gaetz on a recorded line (per Politico). 

The DOJ ultimately closed its investigation in 2023 without bringing any charges against Gaetz, an outcome he claims vindicates him. However, The Washington Post reported that the decision was the result of prosecutors worrying they wouldn't be able to get a conviction due to credibility concerns with two key witnesses.

Despite the fact the Department of Justice did not bring any charges against him, Matt Gaetz's alleged sexual crimes have continued to linger in the public consciousness. This is mostly thanks to the House Ethics Committee, which reopened its investigation into Gaetz in 2023 following the conclusion of the DOJ's investigation. As part of its probe, the committee subpoenaed Gaetz's ex-girlfriend, who elected to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, per comments made by her lawyer to CNN. According to ABC News, the committee also subpoenaed half a dozen witnesses from the DOJ's investigation, including the alleged sex-trafficking victim at the center of the case, who sat for days of testimony and told the committee that Gaetz had indeed had sex with her while she was a minor.

The future of the committee's investigation was jeopardized when announced his Gaetz resignation from the House of Representatives after he was named as president-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general. The job that would have put him in charge of the department that previously investigated him, which some feel is a reward for Gaetz's loyalty to Trump. In the wake of this decision, several Democratic members of congress called on the committee to release its report, which it eventually did in December 2024. "Based on the above, the Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress," the report concluded.