The federal government had witnesses, flight records, Venmo receipts, and yet still decided not to prosecute Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).
CNN reported:
The final decision was made by Department of Justice leadership after investigators recommended against charges last year.
“We have just spoken with the DOJ and have been informed that they have concluded their investigation into Congressman Gaetz and allegations related to sex trafficking and obstruction of justice and they have determined not to bring any charges against him,” Gaetz’s lawyers, Marc Mukasey, and Isabelle Kirshner, said in a statement.
Jose Pagliery of The Daily Beast, who did much of the investigative reporting on the story tweeted:
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Feds had a confession letter. Private Venmos. Uber receipts. Flight records.
Yet they still won't prosecute Congressman Matt Gaetz.
This is all the more stunning, because @SollenbergerRC & I were the ones who exposed the evidence for @thedailybeast:https://t.co/JqortIYMme
— Jose Pagliery (@Jose_Pagliery) February 15, 2023
It might seem stunning that Gaetz wasn’t charged, but in America’s warped system of justice where being male, white, and rich gets treated differently than everyone else, it isn’t surprising. The feds were afraid to come after Gaetz because there were credibility issues with their potential witnesses, and they did not want to rely on the physical evidence alone to try to get a conviction.
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The reluctance to prosecute Gaetz is not new or unique. Donald Trump has spent his entire adult life being a white, rich man who gets special treatment. DOJ allowed Trump to haggle with them for a year and a half before they finally acted after he stole classified documents.
If Matt Gaetz was anyone else of less status and means, he would have been prosecuted and locked up by now. Attorney General Garland and members of legal community like to talk about the rule of law, but how can Americans believe in the rule of law when they see one system of justice for the rich and powerful and another for everyone else?
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
