Matt Gaetz Was Cleared Of Charges in Trafficking Investigation
A Republican member of the Florida Congress, Matt Gaetz resigned from the House of Representatives shortly after President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would be the next US Attorney General.
Matthew Louis Gaetz II, born in 1982, is an American politician and attorney and is now the member-elect after serving as the congressman for Florida’s first congressional district from 2017 to 2024.
Highlights
- Despite being under investigation for s*x trafficking and other legal issues, Matt was exonerated of all allegations by the Justice Department in 2023.
- Gaetz was the lone congressman to vote “no” on an anti-human trafficking law in 2017, garnering national attention.
- At the age of 27, Gaetz entered politics and was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2010.
He has been a strong supporter of former US President Donald Trump, is one of his party’s most vocal ultraconservatives, and was instrumental in the removal of Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the US House of Representatives.
Similarly, Gaetz began his political career in 2010 when he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives at the age of 27, following years of employment at a northwest Florida law firm.
While serving in the legislature, he fought to repeal a law requiring gasoline providers to use ethanol-blended fuel and backed a plan to speed up the execution of death row convicts in Florida.
Matt gaetz once faced a trafficking investigation
Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida has been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for claims of misconduct and was previously involved in a s*x trafficking probe that he was appointed to supervise by the Justice Department.
Gaetz, a fervent supporter of Trump, has been embroiled in controversies for years, which might jeopardize the Republican-led Senate’s ability to approve him as the country’s top federal law enforcement official.
Gaetz has strongly denied any wrongdoing and stated last year that he was not facing any federal charges as a result of the Justice Department’s investigation into claims of sex trafficking involving minors.
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“The Department of Justice has confirmed to Congressman Gaetz’s attorneys that their investigation has concluded and that he will not be charged with any crimes,” Gaetz’s office again stated in 2023.
After more than a year of being plagued by the accusations, Gaetz’s legal troubles were somewhat alleviated by the Justice Department’s ruling.
Former President Donald Trump’s longtime supporter Gaetz has turned into a nemesis for the newly formed GOP majority.
Matt gaetz voted no on anti-human trafficking
Gaetz, a freshman congressman, was not yet well-known nationwide in 2017.
Nevertheless, after he cast the only “no” vote on an anti-human trafficking law that swept through the House and Senate, he attracted attention nationwide.
From a Facebook Live in his living room, Gaetz revealed why he voted against the Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act, a law that he said would amount to “mission creep” at the federal level.
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Although he supported the bill’s objective, in plain English he believed it would result in more government red tape than was necessary.
However, Gaetz was still criticized for being the only vote against, and his “no” vote reappeared years later amid the controversy surrounding his alleged sex trafficking investigation.
Additional Information
- Gaetz was born to Victoria and Don Gaetz, who later became a prominent local politician.
- After earning a Bachelor of Science in transdisciplinary sciences from Florida State University in 2003, Matt got a Juris Doctor from William & Mary Law School in 2007.
- Gaetz and his parents have an estimated net worth of $30 million.
