No Charges, Still Sued: The Civil Trafficking Clock
A new federal civil suit against former Rep. Matt Gaetz, years after prosecutors closed their investigation without charges, shows how a civil trafficking claim runs on its own deadline, burden of proof and rules about silence.
October 17, 2026 · 2 min read
By Jocelyn C. Stewart
Courthouse News Service reports that two women have sued former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz in federal court in Florida, alleging sex trafficking between 2017 and early 2019. Newsweek reports that Gaetz denies the allegations and says he looks forward to deposing the women. Courthouse News reports the Justice Department closed its criminal investigation of him in 2023 without filing charges. A closed criminal case is not the end of the road.
What is alleged. Courthouse News reports the women, who are not named in the complaint, sued under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act. The same report says they allege they were recruited through a dating website, paid for sex and given drugs at gatherings and on trips. Courthouse News also reports that a co-defendant, former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg, pleaded guilty in 2021 to federal charges that included sex trafficking of a minor. These are allegations in a complaint. No court has ruled on them.
The Associated Press, in a report carried by The Philadelphia Inquirer, also reports that the two women filed their federal lawsuit in Orlando and that Gaetz denies the allegations.