2024-09-21 07:35:02
Sealed testimony from three witnesses in a high-profile sex scandal case reportedly alleges Rep. Matt Gaetz attended a 2017 party that included sex, drugs and a nude, underaged girl.
Representatives of Gaetz and the attorney of the alleged host of the party say the claims are meritless.
Back in March 2021, the New York Times broke the story that Gaetz was being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department over allegations that he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl and paid for her travel.
Gaetz has vehemently denied the allegations, and the DOJ ultimately declined to file any criminal charges against the congressman. Still, the allegations – which did lead to a conviction and 11-year-prison sentence for Gaetz’s friend and political ally Joel Greenberg – have dogged Gaetz and prompted an investigation by the U.S. House Ethics Committee.
Now, federal court filings submitted Thursday night mark “the first time that sworn testimony has been referenced in public court filings alleging that the congressman attended one of the long-rumored parties tied to an alleged underage sex scandal,” the Washington-based media outlet NOTUS reported in a story published early Friday morning.
The story referenced testimony from A.B., the 17-year-old at the center of the scandal, and two other women who claimed Gaetz was at a Lake Mary-area “sex party” on July 15, 2017.
In response to emailed questions from the News Journal asking if Gaetz attended the party and was aware of any illicit drugs, sexual activity, or improper activity involving the juvenile, a spokesperson for Gaetz said, “Congressman Gaetz has never participated in the activities reflected in the NOTUS reporting. If people said otherwise, they are either confused or lying. This particular reporter used to work at the Daily Beast liberal publication and predicted the congressman’s arrest in 2021. Apparently he had to find other work.”
The testimony claiming Gaetz attended the party was taken from depositions and affidavits cited in a lawsuit between Greenberg’s family and the alleged host of the party, Christopher Dorworth.
Dorworth, a former state representative, filed a federal defamation lawsuit in 2023 against A.B., Greenberg and several of Greenberg’s family members, and he has accused them of “conspiring with Joel’s sex trafficking victim, A.B., to falsely accuse Dorworth and Gaetz of sexual misconduct.”
Alex Andrade, a Pensacola attorney with Moore, Hill & Westmoreland, P.A., is representing Dorworth in the litigation, and he said there are “disputed issues of fact” around the testimony, as well as evidence that contradicts the testimony. He also urged people to “remember the source” of the claims against his client, noting that Greenberg had admitted to paying an underaged girl for sex and said he encouraged her to give false testimony against his client, as well as that the DOJ had reportedly not pursued a criminal case against Gaetz because the witnesses in the case were unreliable.
Andrade is also a member of the Florida House of Representatives, serving parts of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in the Florida Panhandle.
What did witnesses say about Matt Gaetz attending a sex party?
Filings to an Orlando U.S. District Court show both camps accused the other of operating in bad faith.
A.B.’s testimony was given in a June 24 deposition, and the transcript was included as Exhibit 1 in the Greenberg’s motion for entitlement to attorney’s fees, costs, and sanctions. The motion was made late Thursday night, roughly two weeks after Dorworth voluntarily dismissed the federal civil suit to instead pursue it in state court.
Other exhibits included in the motion were testimony taken from a woman identified as K.M. in a June 21 deposition, and an affidavit from a woman identified as B.G. dated Sept. 3. The transcripts and affidavit are sealed to the public, and the motion that cites them are heavily redacted.
Still, it’s clear that attorneys for the Greenbergs used the testimony to bolster their assertions that Dorworth’s defamation claims were frivolous and false.
Gaetz seemingly got caught in the crossfire.
“In 2017, Chris Dorworth − a former state legislator turned lobbyist − reveled in the prestige of connected friends, like Congressman Matt Gaetz, entertaining them with parties featuring illicit drugs and young women,” the motion said.
An exhibit filed with the motion, a document submitted by the attorneys of Greenberg’s ex-wife, Abby Greenberg, notes that, “The discovery taken in this case to date reflects that on Saturday, July 15, 2017, the Plaintiff, Christopher Dorworth, hosted a party at his residence located at 1520 Whistable Court; Lake Mary, Florida … with the following guests present: (1) A.B.; (2) K.M.; (3) B.G.; (4) Matt Gaetz; (5) C.F.; (6) Christopher Dorworth; (7) (redacted); (8) Joel Greenberg; (9) Joe Ellicott; (10) Mike Fischer; (11) an unidentified male; and (12) two unidentified females.”
A.B., a high school junior at the time, took her mother’s car to the gathering, according to the document. Once there she was seen “naked in the presence of Christopher Dorworth,” according to sworn testimony from the witness identified as K.M.
K.M. also reported that “the attendees of the party at the Dorworth Residence including, without limitation, A.B., had ‘access to the bedrooms in the Dorworth Residence to engage in sexual activities’ as well as ‘alcohol, cocaine, ecstasy also known as molly, and marijuana.'”
Allegations around ‘sex party’ are still contested
Andrade said both the Greenbergs’ motion for fees and costs and the associated exhibits were improper, and were filed after the case was already moot and moved to state court.
“The (Greenberg) Family’s motion for fees includes scandalous and salacious statements of fact, the vast majority of which were never placed before this Court prior to the dismissal of this case; all of which Plaintiff contests,” Andrade wrote in a motion to the court Friday. ” … These disputed issues of fact continue to be the subject of an active statecourt proceeding, one which such rulings by this Court could improperly prejudice.”
An order filed Friday by the judge in the case seemed to support Andrade’s position.
“Since Plaintiff (Dorworth) dismissed this action without prejudice pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure … on September 5, 2024, the docket in this case has received an additional 14 entries,” U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel C. Irick wrote in an order “directing only legal motions” on Friday.
“Most of the paper filed with the Court relates to entitlement to attorney fees – Defendants seek fees pursuant to Florida’s RICO statute and the Court’s inherent powers. However while it appears that much of Defendants’ filings relate to their attempts to publicly utilize discovery documents to bolster their fee entitlement claims, much of Plaintiff’s filings relate to whether this Court has jurisdiction to entertain the fee entitlement claims at this juncture.”
In a written statement to the News Journal Andrade wrote, “To reiterate, there is nothing in the improperly filed motions filed by the defendants to which we are required to respond, they are disputed issues of fact; and we look forward to pursuing our claims for defamation and false claims of criminal conduct in the state court action. We are confident that we will prevail on these facts in the state court case, and we maintain that the state court case is the only proper case where these facts should be litigated.”
What does sex party scandal mean for Matt Gaetz?
If history is any indicator, these latest allegations will be of little hinderance for Gaetz as he seeks to retain his seat representing Florida’s First Congressional District.
In the August primary election, Gaetz handily defeated challenger Aaron Dimmock with 72.55% of the vote.
Gaetz hasn’t been seriously challenged since he was first elected to the seat in 2016, beating out a field of six other candidates in the Republican primary. In each primary since 2016, Gaetz has won with more than 60% of Republican voters’ support.
His closest primary challenge was in 2018 against Cris Dosev, who got 30% of the vote, the most of any candidate to challenge Gaetz since 2016.
Gaetz will go on to face Democratic candidate Gay Valimont in the election in November, who released a statement on Friday related to the sex scandal allegations.
“While I have always committed to focusing on the issues that matter most to our community, the revelations contained in these court records are deeply disturbing and cannot be ignored. Witnesses have testified, and credible allegations have surfaced that implicate Congressman Gaetz in a scandal so heinous that it undermines our shared values of safety and dignity,” Valimont said.
“These allegations go beyond political debate; they signify a profound crisis that requires accountability. Iwant to acknowledge the bravery of the young individuals involved, whose lives have been irrevocablyaffected. We have a moral duty to safeguard our most vulnerable citizens. As your representative, I willconfront issues that affect the integrity of our communities and the well-being of our constituents head-on.”
