Challenges Faced by Matt Gaetz: Obstacles and Turning Points

Life is full of challenges, and Matt Gaetz faced many. Discover key struggles and how they were overcome.

Matt Gaetz is an American politician and lawyer. As a Republican, he represented Florida's 1st congressional district from 2017 until 2024. Gaetz, who identifies as a libertarian populist, is known for his far-right political views and strong support for Donald Trump. A notable action includes his October 2023 motion to vacate, which resulted in Kevin McCarthy's removal as Speaker of the House.

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Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

2007: Reference to Robert Levinson disappearance

The text mentions the 2007 disappearance of U.S. federal agent Robert Levinson in Iran as part of an alleged extortion scheme against Matt Gaetz and his father.

2008: Gaetz Arrested for DUI

In 2008, Matt Gaetz was arrested for driving under the influence in Okaloosa Island, Florida. Police recorded him driving 48 mph in a 35 mph zone, and he showed signs of intoxication. Gaetz initially denied drinking alcohol but later admitted to drinking two beers. He refused field sobriety tests and a breathalyzer test after being arrested.

July 2017: Witness Testimony on Gaetz's Alleged Sexual Encounter with Minor

In July 2017, a woman testified that she witnessed Matt Gaetz having sex with her 17-year-old friend. According to her testimony, Gaetz paused the relationship when he became aware of the girl's age and resumed it after she turned 18.

September 4, 2017: Greenberg Learns of Underage Girl

On September 4, 2017, Joel Greenberg learned that the 17-year-old girl he and Matt Gaetz had had sex with was underage.

2017: Alleged Party Attendance with Underage Girl

In 2017, Matt Gaetz reportedly attended a party alongside a 17-year-old girl, at the home of lobbyist Chris Dorworth where people engaged in sexual activities and did drugs, including cocaine, ecstasy, and cannabis.

2017: Alleged sex trafficking of a minor

In 2017, federal officials started to investigate Matt Gaetz for allegedly sex trafficking a 17-year-old girl.

2017: Hacker Obtains Testimony Regarding Alleged Sexual Encounter

In 2017, the sworn testimony of a woman alleging she had sex with Matt Gaetz when she was 17, along with corroborating eyewitness testimony, was obtained by a hacker on November 18. The hacker did not immediately leak the material, and a lawyer noticed the suspicious download.

April 2018: Accompanied Joel Greenberg to a government office

In April 2018, Matt Gaetz reportedly accompanied Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg to a government office where Greenberg was allegedly producing fake IDs.

May 2018: Venmo transaction to Joel Greenberg

In May 2018, Venmo transaction records reportedly showed Matt Gaetz sending $900 to Joel Greenberg, with a memo referring to a woman. Greenberg then relayed the money to three women, one of whom was 18, with the memos "tuition" and "school".

September 2018: Trip to the Bahamas under investigation

In September 2018, Matt Gaetz's trip to the Bahamas with Jason Pirozzolo became the subject of a federal investigation in 2021. Investigators explored whether escorts were sexually trafficked for Gaetz and whether Gaetz accepted paid escorts in exchange for political access or legislative favors for Pirozzolo.

September 2018: Text messages indicate prostitute was arranged for Gaetz

In September 2018, text messages between Joel Greenberg and a woman engaging in prostitution indicated that a prostitute was arranged for Matt Gaetz and that MDMA may have been proffered.

January 2019: Gaetz Paid Women over $10,000

Between July 2017 and January 2019, the DOJ charted payments showing that Matt Gaetz paid two women over $10,000 across 27 Venmo transactions and a check.

January 2020: Secret Service tip regarding fake IDs

In January 2020, the U.S. Secret Service reportedly received a tip that Matt Gaetz had accompanied Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg to a government office in April 2018 where Greenberg was producing fake IDs. Greenberg was later indicted in August 2020 on various charges, including sex trafficking. The investigation of Greenberg led federal officials to look into some of Gaetz's related activities, and in late 2020, the Justice Department opened an investigation of Gaetz for alleged sex trafficking in 2017.

August 2020: Joel Greenberg Indicted

In August 2020, Joel Greenberg was indicted on an array of charges, including sex trafficking a 17-year-old girl in 2017 and creating fake IDs to facilitate sex trafficking.

2020: Accusations of Child Sex Trafficking and Statutory Rape

In 2020, Matt Gaetz was accused of child sex trafficking and statutory rape, but the United States Department of Justice decided not to charge him.

March 30, 2021: Reported possible job at Newsmax and Justice Department investigation

On March 30, 2021, Axios reported that Matt Gaetz was considering leaving Congress early for a job at Newsmax. Simultaneously, The New York Times reported that the Justice Department was investigating Gaetz. Investigators also examined whether Gaetz used campaign money for travel and expenses related to young women and if cash and drugs were involved.

March 31, 2021: McCarthy's Statement on Gaetz

On March 31, 2021, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy stated that he had no immediate plans to remove Matt Gaetz from his positions on the Judiciary and Armed Services Committees. However, McCarthy indicated that his decision might change if Gaetz were indicted or if the allegations against him proved to be true.

April 2021: Greenberg's Confession Letter Reported

In April 2021, The Daily Beast reported that Joel Greenberg attempted to secure a pardon from the Trump administration via a confession letter, writing that he and Matt Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old girl they believed was 19, and that payments had been made on behalf of Gaetz to her and other women in exchange for sex.

April 2021: House Ethics Committee Begins Probe

In April 2021, the House Ethics Committee initiated a probe into Matt Gaetz's alleged misconduct but paused it pending the DOJ investigation.

May 2021: Capitol Hill Intern Cooperates with Investigators

In May 2021, a Capitol Hill intern who dated Matt Gaetz agreed to cooperate with investigators regarding Gaetz's September 2018 financial transactions on his Bahamas trip.

August 2021: Greenberg's sentencing hearing delayed

In August 2021, Joel Greenberg's sentencing hearing was originally scheduled but had been repeatedly delayed due to his cooperation in related investigations, including those involving Matt Gaetz.

August 2021: Stephen Alford Indicted

In August 2021, Stephen Alford was federally indicted for allegedly conducting the extortion scheme against Matt Gaetz. Prosecutors alleged that Alford said he had contacts in the Justice Department who could arrange for a presidential pardon for Gaetz and directed Don Gaetz to wire the money to a trust account managed by David McGee.

2021: House Ethics Committee investigates Gaetz.

In 2021, the House Ethics Committee began investigating Matt Gaetz over allegations that he had had sexual relations with a minor. According to McCarthy, the House ethics committee had been investigating the case since 2021, before McCarthy was appointed speaker.

January 2022: Joseph Ellicott pleads guilty and cooperates

In January 2022, Joseph Ellicott, an associate of both Matt Gaetz and Joel Greenberg, pleaded guilty to two charges related to the investigation and is cooperating with authorities.

January 2022: Gaetz's ex-girlfriend testifies before grand jury

In January 2022, an ex-girlfriend of Matt Gaetz testified before a grand jury after being granted immunity. Later in January 2022, Joseph Ellicott confessed that on September 4, 2017, he witnessed Greenberg telling Gaetz over the phone that the woman they had both had sex with was underage.

September 2022: Prosecutors Recommended No Charges in Sex Trafficking Investigation

In September 2022, a Washington Post article reported that prosecutors recommended not charging Matt Gaetz in the sex trafficking investigation. The recommendation was based on the unlikelihood of a conviction, partially due to credibility issues with the two main witnesses.

December 1, 2022: Greenberg sentenced to 11 years in prison

On December 1, 2022, Joel Greenberg was sentenced to 11 years in prison, plus 10 years of supervised release, due to his assistance with prosecutors in a series of investigations, including those involving Matt Gaetz.

2022: Gaetz's Ex-Girlfriend Received Immunity and Testified

In 2022, Matt Gaetz's ex-girlfriend received immunity and testified in the criminal investigation, though the House Ethics Committee reportedly did not expect her cooperation in the ethics investigation voluntarily.

February 2023: House Ethics Committee Reopens Probe

Following the conclusion of the DOJ investigation, in February 2023, the House Ethics Committee reopened its probe into Matt Gaetz's conduct.

February 2023: DOJ Concludes Investigation, Will Not Lay Charges

In February 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) informed Matt Gaetz's attorneys that they had concluded their investigation and would not be pressing charges against him. This effectively ended the multiyear probe into allegations of misconduct.

June 2023: House Ethics Committee Resumes Investigation

In June 2023, the House Ethics Committee resumed its investigation, which had been deferred at the request of the Justice Department, into allegations that Matt Gaetz may have engaged in sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift.

April 2024: McCarthy accuses Gaetz of filing motion to oust him for protection

In April 2024, Kevin McCarthy accused Matt Gaetz of initiating the motion to remove him from his speakership in order to shield himself from allegations of having had sexual relations with a minor. According to McCarthy, the House ethics committee had been investigating the case since 2021, before McCarthy was appointed speaker.

September 2024: Court documents allege party attendance with underage girl

In September 2024, court documents stated that, according to multiple eyewitnesses, Matt Gaetz had attended a party in 2017 alongside a 17-year-old girl, at the home of lobbyist Chris Dorworth where people engaged in sexual activities and did drugs, including cocaine, ecstasy, and cannabis.

November 2024: Gaetz Resigned from House Before Ethics Report Release

In mid-November 2024, days before the committee was scheduled to vote whether to release its report, Matt Gaetz resigned from the House, in part due to an announcement of his nomination as United States Attorney General for Donald Trump's second term. This action caused the committee to lose jurisdiction to continue its probe and prevented the release of the report.

December 2024: House Ethics Committee Report Released

In December 2024, the House Ethics Committee released a report finding evidence that Matt Gaetz paid for sex, including with a 17-year-old, and abused illegal drugs during his tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives.