Two women have filed a civil lawsuit alleging that former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz was involved in a sex-trafficking scheme that included a trip to the Bahamas.
The Miami Herald first reported the lawsuit, which was filed Monday in federal court in Florida. The complaint also names Joel Greenberg, the disgraced former Seminole County tax collector, and Christopher Dorworth, a former Republican state legislator.
The 33-page filing alleges that the men used money, drugs and personal relationships to arrange sexual encounters with young women.
Identified in court documents as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, the plaintiffs were 20 and 22 when they first met Gaetz in the summer of 2017.
Gaetz denied much of the conduct alleged against him. In a statement to the Miami Herald, he said, “I look forward to taking the plaintiffs’ depositions because much of the conduct alleged against me is false.”
The women allege that Greenberg contacted them while they were facing financial hardship and recruited them through SeekingArrangement.com, a controversial sugar-dating site that connects wealthy men with younger partners.
The complaint says Greenberg subsequently introduced the women to Gaetz, Dorworth and other men.
According to the lawsuit, the alleged encounters took place at private homes and parties where drugs were present.
Two Jane Does are suing former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, alleging that he participated in a sex-trafficking operation involving a trip to the Bahamas
The plaintiffs say alleged encounters occurred at private residences and parties where drugs were involved. Jane Doe 1 claims she was paid more than $6,000, while Jane Doe 2 says she received over $4,000
“The lawsuit relies almost exclusively on a Congressional Committee report that didn’t allow me to confront my accusers. Now I will finally have that chance,” Gaetz told the Miami Herald
The complaint lists the Bahamas, New York City, Miami, Las Vegas and the Florida Keys as locations linked to the alleged activity.
It also details payments the women say they received from Gaetz.
Jane Doe 1 alleges that Gaetz paid her more than $6,000. Jane Doe 2 claims she received more than $4,000.
Some of the alleged transaction descriptions reportedly included phrases such as “Love you,” “Being my friend” and “car deductible.”
Jane Doe 1 further alleges that she witnessed Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old girl referred to in the lawsuit as “Victim A.”
The girl, who was underage at the time, is not a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
READ MORE: Ex-DUP Leader Jeffrey Donaldson Jailed in Northern Ireland Child Sex Abuse Case
Gaetz told the Miami Herald that the lawsuit is based “almost exclusively” on a congressional committee report that did not allow him to confront his accusers. “Now I will finally have that chance,” he said.
He also shared a photograph from an Instagram account showing three women alongside the caption, “Bahamas, beers and babes is all you ever need.” Gaetz added his own caption: “Jane Doe Strikes Again! Two adult women sued me today alleging they were sex trafficked to the Bahamas. I’m shocked nobody responded to their repeated cries for help, posted to instagram.”
When the Daily Mail asked Gaetz whether the women named in the lawsuit were the same women shown in the photo he shared on X, he said:
‘This is a picture of 3 women in the Bahamas posting about what a good time they are having on vacation. You should ask the attorney for the plaintiffs if their clients are pictured. I think they are.’
The Daily Mail reached out to Florida attorney Spencer Kuvin, who filed the lawsuit for comment on Gaetz sharing the Instagram photo.
Though Kuvin could neither confirm nor deny if the women in the photo are the Jane Does, he called Matt Gaetz ‘disgusting’ and said he has no idea who the anonymous women are.
‘Even if he were thinking it’s one of them, he’s trying to dox them online, which is further abuse,’ Kuvin told the Daily Mail.
‘If he wants to testify under oath, under penalty of perjury, tell him we’re ready to take his deposition tomorrow.’
The women argue that the significant age gap between them and Gaetz was used to exploit their circumstances and keep them from coming forward.
According to the filing, Gaetz was 15 years older than the first plaintiff and 13 years older than the second.
The lawsuit further alleges that Greenberg and Dorworth helped shield Gaetz from scrutiny.
The men are accused of arranging or paying for travel involving the plaintiffs, other alleged victims and prominent political figures.
Greenberg, who is serving an 11-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to multiple offenses, including sex trafficking a minor, is also accused of using money from a range of transactions to pay women for commercial sex acts.
The plaintiffs are also pursuing claims against Greenberg Dental Associates LLC and other companies linked to Greenberg’s family.
The filing alleges that more than 150 such transactions, worth over $70,000 in total, took place between December 2016 and December 2018.
Some were allegedly charged to an American Express card belonging to the tax collector’s office, with expense descriptions including ‘school’ and ‘ice cream.’
Kuvin’s lawsuit references findings from a separate House Ethics Committee investigation into Gaetz’s conduct while in Congress.