Prosecutors have granted immunity to the ex-girlfriend of Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz before her testimony last week in front of a federal grand jury in the investigation to determine if he violated sex trafficking laws and obstructed justice. Gaetz claims he never trafficked or had sex with anyone underage, CBS News reports.
The unidentified woman is seen as a potential key witness according to sources speaking to CBS News, who say she has information regarding the sex trafficking and obstruction allegations.
“This may be a willing participant who has a smart lawyer who sought an immunity deal from the government,” said former prosecutor and CBS News legal analyst Rikki Kleiman. “The government does not give immunity blindly, they know what they’re getting in exchange.”
Gaetz’s attorney Isabelle Kirshner told CBS News last week that “we have seen no credible basis for a charge against Congressman Gaetz. We remain steadfast in our commitment to challenge any allegations with the facts and law.”
In regards to the obstruction investigation, authorities want to know if Gaetz had a phone call with her and another woman after she was already a witness in the federal investigation. CBS News says sources have revealed that the ex-girlfriend and the other woman traveled to the Bahamas with Gaetz in 2018 with a third woman who was in a sexual relationship with Gaetz — who was 18 at the time of the trip but may have been 17 when the sexual relationship began. Investigators want to know if any of the women were paid and were illegally trafficked across state or international lines for the sake of having sex with Gaetz.
