A former associate of Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida pleaded guilty Monday to multiple federal crimes, including sex trafficking of a minor and agreed to cooperate with the investigation into the Republican lawmaker.
Joel Greenberg, a former Seminole County, Florida, tax commissioner, admitted to six charges including admitting that he had knowingly solicited and paid a minor for sex. He also pleaded guilty to charges of fraud and stalking a political rival.
The plea deal could be a substantial win for Justice Department prosecutors investigating whether Mr. Gaetz had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl and paid for her travels with him.
Mr. Gaetz has not been charged with a crime and has denied all wrongdoing.
Under the plea agreement, Mr. Greenberg will avoid some of the 33 charges he faced, which included identity theft and bribery.
The sex trafficking of a minor charge to which Mr. Greenberg copped carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, but he could serve much less time if his cooperation helps prosecutors in the Gaetz probe.
As part of his plea deal, Mr. Greenberg has agreed to give “substantial assistance” to prosecutors, including testifying at trials or federal grand juries if needed and turning over all documents that could help the Gaetz investigation.
Court filings released Friday showed how Mr. Greenberg used cellphone apps to make contacts and paid thousands of dollars for sex with younger women. The documents also detail drug-fueled sexual romps at hotels and using his office’s power to line his own pockets.
Mr. Gaetz was not mentioned in any of the court documents.
A spokesman for the congressman seized upon the fact that Mr. Gaetz was not mentioned in the filing.
Spokesman Harlan Hill also pointed out that in Mr. Greenberg’s plea filing he admitted to accusing a Florida teacher of having sex with a student in 2019. Mr. Greenberg allegedly targeted the man because he planned to run against him as tax collector.
“Joel Greenberg has now confessed to falsely accusing an innocent man of having sex with a minor,” Mr. Hill said in a statement.
Defense attorneys for Mr. Greenberg last month said their client’s cooperation could create legal headaches for Mr. Gaetz, a conservative firebrand known for his ardent support of former President Donald Trump.
“I’m sure Matt Gaetz is not feeling very comfortable today,” Greenberg defense attorney Fritz Scheller told reporters in April after a hearing in the case against Mr. Greenberg.
Mr. Scheller was much more coy this week.
Speaking with reporters after the Monday guilty-plea hearing, he declined to say how many times Mr. Greenberg met with federal investigators or how his plea deal could affect the Gaetz probe.
“Does my client have information that could hurt an elected official? I guess this is must-see television. You’ll just have to wait and see,” he told reporters.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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