Report: Gaetz Used Venmo To Pay Indicted Sex Trafficker, Who Then Sent Cash To 18-Year-Old

UNITED STATES - JULY 1: Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.,attends the House Armed Services Committee markup of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in Longworth Building on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) attends the House Armed Services Committee markup of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on July 1, 2020. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) reportedly used Venmo to send $900 one night in March 2018 to his friend and alleged sex trafficker Joel Greenberg, who then Venmo’d the same amount of money to three young women, including an 18-year-old, the next day.

The Daily Beast reported on Wednesday night that it had obtained records of the transactions, which were reportedly public on the app until this week, showing that Gaetz sent the $900 in two payments. The GOP congressman reportedly wrote “Test” in the memo field of the first payment, and “Hit up [name of 18-year-old]” in the second (the Daily Beast withheld her name).

Greenberg reportedly wrote “Tuition,” “School,” and “School” in Venmo payments to the three women that added up to $900 the next morning.

Gaetz told the Daily Beast through PR firm Logan Circle Group that “[t]he rumors, gossip and self-serving misstatements of others will be addressed in due course by my legal team.”

The new revelations of the Venmo payments emerge amid the Justice Department’s investigation into Gaetz for allegedly having sex with a 17-year-old and paying for her travel across state lines.

The probe stemmed from the criminal case against Greenberg, who has been charged with sex trafficking and others crimes involving abuse of office when he served as Seminole County tax collector. He is reportedly expected to plead guilty.

The sex trafficking charge against Greenberg involves the same 17-year-old in the investigation into Gaetz, according to the New York Times.

Investigators are also reportedly looking at “sugar daddy” payments Gaetz and Greenberg allegedly made to several women who were recruited for sex.

Gaetz, who has not been criminally charged, denies having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paying for sex.

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. Wow, even T**** wasn’t that stupid when paying for sex, and that’s really a tough standard to surpass.

  2. Did he forget the line - “What happens in Vegas stays on the Internet forever.”

  3. Avatar for tao tao says:

    image

  4. I don’t really understand the 'sex trafficking lingo.
    Can we use pimp and john for Greenberg and Gaetz, or am I missing something?
    Serious question.

  5. They just don’t believe any rules apply for them.

    If you get caught jus blow enough feigned indignation politically motivated attack smoke on Newsmax, OAN and Fox to wriggle off the hook

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

306 more replies

Participants

Avatar for eggrollian Avatar for cervantes Avatar for becca656 Avatar for sniffit Avatar for tacoma Avatar for bonvivant Avatar for lastroth Avatar for gr Avatar for dryheat Avatar for thunderclapnewman Avatar for tena Avatar for misterneutron Avatar for Anarchy_Bunker Avatar for lizzymom Avatar for castor_troy Avatar for rhs1963 Avatar for maximus Avatar for skeptical Avatar for iamsmall Avatar for occamscoin Avatar for zenicetus Avatar for rascal_crone Avatar for JR_in_Mass Avatar for Stay-on-Target

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: