Rep. Matt Gaetz's pal Joel Greenberg is in talks with federal prosecutors to plead guilty in exchange for information about the sex trafficking probe that has roped in the Florida lawmaker, lawyers said Thursday.
"We believe this case will be a plea," federal prosecutor Roger Handberg told a judge in an Orlando, Fla. courtroom.
Gaetz (R-Fla.) was not mentioned by name in the brief hearing. He is not charged with any wrongdoing.
But any plea deal might be potentially disastrous for the GOP congressman, if Greenberg is required to spill the beans about Gaetz's role in the trafficking scheme.
© Provided by New York Daily NewsMatt Gaetz, R- Fla., speaks at CPAC at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Florida, on Feb. 26, 2021.
Matt Gaetz, R- Fla., speaks at CPAC at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Florida, on Feb. 26, 2021.
"I'm sure Matt Gaetz is not feeling very comfortable," Greenberg's defense lawyer, Fritz Scheller, told reporters after the hearing.
Greenberg, a former Florida elected official, is close friends with Gaetz. He is awaiting trial on a string of federal charges, including having sex with a minor and human trafficking.
The Justice Department, while investigating Greenberg, began looking into Gaetz last year for allegedly having sex with a 17-year-old girl in exchange for covering her expenses, including travel and accommodation.
Gaetz has admitted to being caught up in the Greenberg investigation, but has denied having or paying for sex with the teen.
© Provided by New York Daily NewsIn this Sept. 30, 2019, file photo, Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg talks to the Orlando Sentinel during an interview at his office in Lake Mary, Fla. Greenberg has been charged with trafficking a minor, stalking a political opponent, producing fake IDs, identity theft, embezzlement and bribery. But it's his friendship with U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz that is attracting the most attention now as federal investigators have launched a sex trafficking probe into the Republican congressman from the Florida Panhandle.
In this Sept. 30, 2019, file photo, Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg talks to the Orlando Sentinel during an interview at his office in Lake Mary, Fla. Greenberg has been charged with trafficking a minor, stalking a political opponent, producing fake IDs, identity theft, embezzlement and bribery. But it's his friendship with U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz that is attracting the most attention now as federal investigators have launched a sex trafficking probe into the Republican congressman from the Florida Panhandle. (Joe Burbank/)
The Florida congressman and ardent Trump supporter claims the accusations against him are part of a convoluted $25 million extortion plot to smear his family.
Prosecutors are also reportedly investigating whether Gaetz violated any federal laws during a trip to the Bahamas with a prominent marijuana advocate.
NBC News reported that prosecutors are investigating whether Gaetz searched online for female escorts who might have traded sex for money or gifts during the Bahamas jaunt.
Gaetz is expected to speak at a "Women for America First" gala this Friday at former President Donald Trump's golf club in Doral, Fla.