A longtime associate of Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida said in a letter obtained by The Daily Beast that Gaetz paid to have sex with a minor.

“On more than one occasion, this individual was involved in sexual activities with several of the other girls, the congressman from Florida’s 1st Congressional District and myself,” the associate, Joel Greenberg, said in the letter, with the “individual” identified as a 17-year-old. “From time to time, gas money or gifts, rent or partial tuition payments were made to several of these girls, including the individual who was not yet 18. I did see the acts occur firsthand and Venmo transactions,
Cash App, or other payments were made to these girls on behalf of the Congressman.”

The Justice Department has been investigating since last year whether Gaetz violated federal sex-trafficking laws and engaged in a sexual relationship with a minor. The investigation into him stems from a broader inquiry Greenberg, a former Florida tax collector who was indicted on 33 felony counts, including carrying out the sex trafficking of a minor between the ages of 14 and 17. Greenberg previously pleaded not guilty.

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