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A chief witness and onetime buddy of Representative Matt Gaetz<\/strong> is cooperating<\/a> in an unfolding House Ethics Committee investigation into whether or not the Florida politician had intercourse with an underage lady whereas in Congress, a lawyer for the witness stated Friday.<\/p>\n Fritz Scheller<\/strong>, who represents Joel Greenberg<\/strong>, stated that he had offered paperwork to the committee and that Greenberg \u201chas and will cooperate with any congressional request,\u201d The New York Times<\/em> reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n In May of 2021, Greenberg pled responsible to a number of fees, together with intercourse trafficking, and is at the moment in his second yr of an 11-year sentence. The former Florida tax collector was in a position to safe a extra lenient punishment by agreeing to cooperate with a Justice Department investigation into Gaetz. In February of 2023, the division introduced that it was closing the investigation with out charging the Florida Representative with any crimes.<\/p>\n At the time of Greenberg\u2019s December 2022 sentencing, Scheller stated he was \u201cdisappointed\u201d that the division hadn\u2019t charged anybody else, and, although he didn\u2019t title Gaetz, urged prosecutors to \u201cpursue others,\u201d together with extra \u201chigher-level\u201d figures, CNN reported<\/a>. When the DOJ in the end declined to prosecute Gaetz, Scheller claimed that the transfer was proof of \u201ctwo systems of justice,\u201d including, \u201cWhy prosecute the privileged when defendants of limited culpability and means provide an easier target?\u201d<\/p>\n A Gaetz spokeswoman, Jillian Wyant<\/strong>, stated Friday that the fabric Greenberg has offered to the Ethics Committee is identical that was reviewed by the Justice Department, which \u201cdeemed it unreliable and declined to press charges.\u201d Wyant added that the media \u201cshould not be laundering smears from people in prison.\u201d<\/p>\n The House committee initially opened<\/a> the investigation into whether or not Gaetz \u201cmay have engaged in sexual misconduct and\/or illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and\/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift\u201d in 2021, when Democrats managed Congress.<\/p>\n But the ethics inquiry remained largely dormant till it was revived final yr underneath GOP management.\u00a0<\/p>\n The committee started reaching out to witnesses in July, nevertheless it appeared sidetracked by its investigation into disgraced former New York Representative George Santos.<\/strong> The committee requested to interview a witness quickly after it launched a bombshell report on Santos, signaling that it was starting to show its consideration again to Gaetz. More latest reporting from CNN suggests<\/a> that the inquiry is beginning to look into potential intercourse crimes.<\/p>\n So far, Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing. In non-public communications reported<\/a> by The Daily Beast<\/em> in late January, he claimed that his push to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy<\/strong> was pushed by a want to retaliate in opposition to the California Representative, whom Gaetz blamed for the ethics probe. On Friday, McCarthy informed<\/a> a media gaggle that the Florida congressman was afraid of the inquiry. \u201cIn the end, Gaetz would have a hard time being a member of Congress with staying out of jail too,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n