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The FBI has questioned multiple women who claim they were paid to have sex with Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz and his friends, according to a report on Thursday.
The interviews were conducted as part of the federal probe into the Republican congressman, which focuses on his alleged ties to several women who were recruited online for sex and paid for their services, The New York Times reported.
Receipts from CashApp and Apple Pay that the Times reviewed reportedly showed payments from Gaetz to one of the women, who told pals the money was in exchange for sex.
Joel Greenberg, a former Florida county tax collector, allegedly introduced Gaetz to the women, who he had met on websites offering dates in exchange for gifts, money and travel, the report said.
Sources told the Times that both Greenberg and Gaetz had sex with the women during encounters in 2019 and 2020.
Gaetz and Greenberg would allegedly tell the women when and where to meet, often at hotels around Florida, and would also indicate how much they were willing to pay, the newspaper reported.
In some instances, Gaetz allegedly asked the women to help recruit others who may be interested in sleeping with him and his buddies, the report said.
Before the trysts, some of the women and men, including Gaetz, would allegedly take the illegal hallucinogenic drug ecstasy.
Greenberg, a political ally of Gaetz, was indicted last summer on federal sex-trafficking charges and other offenses.
Gaetz, who denies ever paying for sex, reportedly came under scrutiny through the larger investigation into Greenberg.
The Times on Tuesday revealed that the Department of Justice is actively probing whether Gaetz, 38, had sex with a 17-year-old girl and paid her to travel with him across state lines. Gaetz has denied the allegations “in the strongest possible terms.”
The sex trafficking charge against Greenberg allegedly involved the same teenager, two people briefed on the investigation told the newspaper.
No charges have been brought against Gaetz.
His office issued a statement to the Times saying that “Matt Gaetz has never paid for sex.”
“Matt Gaetz refutes all the disgusting allegations completely. Matt Gaetz has never ever been on any such websites whatsoever. Matt Gaetz cherishes the relationships in his past and looks forward to marrying the love of his life.”
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