Former Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz is facing explosive new allegations after two women filed a federal lawsuit accusing him of participating in a sex trafficking operation involving money, drugs and trips to destinations across the United States.
The 44-year-old former Florida lawmaker, whose political career was derailed by an earlier congressional investigation into alleged sexual misconduct, is now facing a new legal battle that could force him to answer questions under oath.
But Gaetz is fighting back, denying the allegations and insisting that the lawsuit will finally give him an opportunity to challenge his accusers directly.
“I look forward to taking the plaintiffs’ depositions because much of the conduct alleged against me is false,” Gaetz said in a statement.
The lawsuit, filed October 12 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, names Gaetz alongside former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg and former Florida state lawmaker Christopher Dorworth.
The two women, identified in court documents as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, allege that the defendants participated in a scheme involving paid sexual encounters, illegal drugs and travel between states from 2017 through January 2019.
According to the complaint, the women were 20 and 22 years old when they were introduced to Gaetz in the summer of 2017.
Both reportedly had limited financial resources, a vulnerability the lawsuit claims the defendants exploited.
The women allege that Greenberg recruited them through an online dating platform and introduced them to a circle of wealthy and politically connected men.
They claim the defendants arranged sexual encounters, provided drugs and coordinated payments and travel to locations including Miami, Las Vegas, the Florida Keys and New York City.
The complaint alleges that Gaetz personally sent more than $6,000 to one plaintiff and more than $4,000 to the other.
Some payments reportedly carried descriptions such as “Being my friend,” “car deductible” and “Love you.”
However, the existence of payments alone does not establish that sex trafficking occurred. The plaintiffs must prove the legal elements of their claims, including the alleged exploitation and circumstances surrounding the transactions.
One plaintiff also alleges that she witnessed Gaetz engaging in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl.
That allegation echoes claims examined during a previous congressional investigation.
The younger girl is not one of the two women bringing the new lawsuit.
Gaetz has consistently denied allegations of criminal sexual misconduct and has not been convicted of sex trafficking.
The latest case represents a significant development because it places allegations previously investigated by Congress into a federal civil courtroom.
In December 2024, the House Ethics Committee released a report concluding that substantial evidence indicated Gaetz had engaged in sexual misconduct, used illegal drugs and violated congressional standards while serving in office.
The committee found evidence that he paid women for sexual encounters and engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl.
Investigators also concluded that he improperly accepted gifts and obstructed parts of the congressional investigation.
However, the committee did not find sufficient evidence to conclude that Gaetz violated federal sex trafficking laws.
That distinction is important because the latest civil complaint makes separate legal allegations that have not yet been decided by a court.
Gaetz strongly rejected the committee’s findings, arguing that the process was unfair and that he had been denied an opportunity to confront witnesses.
He repeated that criticism following the new lawsuit.
“The lawsuit relies almost exclusively on a Congressional Committee report that didn’t allow me to confront my accusers,” Gaetz said. “Now I will finally have that chance.”
His attorney has not publicly announced a detailed defense to each allegation contained in the new complaint.
The lawsuit also brings renewed attention to Greenberg, whose previous criminal case played a major role in the investigation surrounding Gaetz.
Greenberg, once a prominent Republican official in Central Florida, pleaded guilty in 2021 to federal offenses including sex trafficking of a minor, identity theft, wire fraud, stalking and conspiracy.
He was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison.
His criminal conviction is established, but it does not automatically prove the allegations against Gaetz or Dorworth in the new civil case.
Dorworth, a former member of the Florida House of Representatives, has also been named as a defendant.
The plaintiffs accuse him of participating in or supporting aspects of the alleged operation. His responsibility has not been established in court.
The legal controversy carries particular significance because of Gaetz’s once-prominent position in Republican politics.
A longtime ally of President Donald Trump, Gaetz represented Florida’s 1st Congressional District from 2017 until his resignation in November 2024.
He had become one of the party’s most recognizable conservative voices through his outspoken support for Trump and frequent confrontations with congressional leadership.
Following Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, the president-elect selected Gaetz to serve as U.S. attorney general.
But the nomination immediately attracted scrutiny because of the longstanding misconduct allegations.
Gaetz withdrew from consideration, saying the controversy had become a distraction from the incoming administration’s work.
His resignation also ended the House Ethics Committee’s jurisdiction to continue investigating him, although the panel ultimately voted to release its findings.
Before that, the Justice Department had conducted a separate federal investigation into allegations involving Gaetz.
Federal prosecutors decided not to bring criminal charges against him in 2023.
That decision did not prevent private individuals from subsequently filing a civil lawsuit, which operates under different legal procedures and standards of proof.
The new case seeks monetary damages rather than a criminal conviction.
Civil litigation can involve depositions, document requests and sworn testimony as attorneys attempt to establish what happened.
Spencer Kuvin, the Florida attorney representing the two women, has indicated that he intends to question Gaetz under oath.
For Gaetz, that process could provide the opportunity he says he was previously denied to challenge allegations directly.
For the plaintiffs, the lawsuit represents an attempt to seek accountability and financial compensation for conduct they allege occurred nearly a decade ago.
The outcome remains uncertain.
No court has determined that Gaetz participated in sex trafficking, and the allegations contained in the complaint remain disputed.
Nevertheless, the filing has returned the former congressman’s personal conduct to the national spotlight nearly two years after the scandal contributed to the collapse of his attorney general nomination.
And with both sides signaling their willingness to confront the allegations in court, the latest legal battle could bring renewed scrutiny to events that have followed Gaetz for years.
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