A former Florida tax collector linked to the Justice Department’s investigation into Congressman Matt Gaetz will be expected to plead guilty, lawyers in the case said in court Thursday. Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger on Thursday night became the first Republican to ask Gaetz to resign after new allegations appeared in The Daily Beast, the details of which were not independently confirmed by CBS News.
Joel Greenberg is expected to conclude an agreement by May 15, although the agreement has not yet been finalized, his attorney, Fritz Scheller, said Thursday.
Greenberg, the former Seminole County tax collector, is charged with dozens of crimes, including sex trafficking, stalking, bribery and fraud of the payroll protection program. CBS News confirmed that the ongoing investigation into Greenberg spurred the investigation into Gaetz.
Greenberg’s trial has been postponed until July, although prosecutors said at the start of Thursday’s trial that “we believe this case is going to be a plea.”
According to WKMG, a subsidiary of CBS Orlando, Scheller was asked if Gaetz’s possible involvement in the investigation gives his client an advantage in the plea negotiations. Scheller replied that if Greenberg accepts a plea agreement, ‘it will show his remorse – which he does have – a sense of acceptance of responsibility. Number 2, I think he’s uniquely located. ‘
Scheller also told reporters after the court appearance: “I’m sure Matt Gaetz does not feel very comfortable today.” He later explained that, given the focus on the connection between Gaetz and Greenberg, “it would not be taken for granted that he would be concerned, you know, some.”
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Gaetz, a close ally of former President Trump, is accused of having an affair with a 17-year-old and is allegedly being investigated for violations of sex trafficking laws. He has denied all the allegations and has so far not been charged with any crimes.
One of Gaetz’s assistants, Devin Murphy, has resigned in recent days, a source familiar with the situation confirmed on Thursday. The source was told that this was due to the Justice Department investigation, but also that Murphy wanted to leave before it became known. Gaetz’s communications director resigned last week.
On Wednesday, CBS News reported that as part of the investigation into whether Gaetz violated sex trafficking laws, federal investigators are investigating a Bahamas trip he allegedly undertook in late 2018 or early 2019.
Gaetz’s office said in a statement to CBS News on Wednesday that he had “never paid for sex and had never had sex with an underage girl. What started with screaming headlines about ‘sex trafficking’ has now changed in a general fishing exercise about vacations and consensual relationships with adults.Yesterday we even heard of a silly ‘forgiveness’ story that turns out to be false, and today it’s just more euphemism.It’s interesting to see how the Washington “Wheels grind so hard every time one of them falls off.”
CBS News also confirmed Ask Gaetz the White House for a preventive pardon before Mr. Trump has left office. The former president said in a statement on Thursday, “Congressman Matt Gaetz has never asked me for forgiveness,” although he did not address whether the White House had made such a request to Gaetz.
The Florida congressman is expected to make his first public remarks since the news of the inquiry during a Women for America First event on Friday.