Convicted shock jock could be key witness connecting Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz to underage sex worker

As more and more convictions come down, the noose is tightening around Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz. The congressman has been at the center of an ongoing sex trafficking probe, centering around the idea that he might have had sex with then-underage sex worker.

In a confession from convicted sex trafficker and former Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg, he said that both he and Gaetz procured the services of the unidentified girl, though he said neither of them knew she was underage at the time.

Greenberg, the disgraced former tax collector of Seminole County, was a running buddy of Gaetz’s and the pair would attend parties and leave creepy voicemails together. As Greenberg continues to rat out associates in exchange for a lighter sentence, the circle around Gaetz and Greenberg continues to contract.

The most recent buddy to go down is Joe Ellicott, a friend of Greenberg’s and former shock jock. Ellicott pleaded guilty to charges of fraud earlier this week and is cooperating with investigators as part of his plea.

The Daily Beast cites sources within the investigation who say Ellicott was present for a call between Gaetz and Greenberg. He could verify Greenberg’s account of calling the congressman and informing him that a sex worker they’d both paid for services rendered had been underage.

In Greenberg’s letter, he admits to using a Florida Driver’s License database that he had access to as tax collector to confirm the unnamed girl’s age.

“Immediately I called the congressman and warned him to stay clear of this person and informed him she was underage,” Greenberg wrote of what he found. “There was no further contact with this individual until after her 18th birthday.”

Gaetz has continued to deny any allegations of wrongdoing.

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This article appears in Jan 26 – Feb 1, 2022.