Two women filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against former Rep. Matt Gaetz, alleging he sexually exploited them while he served in Congress. The complaint says Gaetz paid for sex and provided drugs to the women in violation of federal anti-trafficking laws, according to the New York Post. The suit was filed in federal court in Orlando, Florida.
The plaintiffs, identified as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, claim they were in their early 20s when they met Gaetz in 2017, per the Daily Wire. They say the former congressman paid them around $10,000 for sexual encounters while he was in office, according to the Washington Examiner. The lawsuit also names Joel Greenberg and former state Rep. Chris Dorworth as co-defendants.
Gaetz responded to the filing by calling the claims false and mocking his accusers on social media. He stated, “Much of the conduct alleged against me is false,” in a statement released Thursday, per the New York Post. He added that he looks forward to the legal process to clear his name.
On the social platform X, Gaetz shared an old photo of women in bathing suits and wrote that he was shocked no one responded to their “cries for help.” He said, “I’m shocked nobody responded to their repeated cries for help, posted to instagram,” according to the New York Post. The suit claims the defendants “collectively used their public office, power, and wealth to prey on the economic vulnerability of Plaintiffs to commit the acts,” per the Washington Examiner.
Jane Doe Strikes Again! Two adult women sued me today alleging they were sex trafficked to the Bahamas. I’m shocked nobody responded to their repeated cries for help, posted to instagram. https://t.co/HPvX2xypzs
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) October 15, 2026
This legal battle follows a House Ethics Committee report released in December 2024 that found substantial evidence of misconduct, according to the Daily Wire. That report helped tank his nomination to become attorney general in President Donald Trump’s second administration, per the New York Post. Gaetz resigned from Congress in November 2024 just before the committee was set to vote on releasing those findings.
The federal civil complaint accuses Gaetz and his co-defendants of involving young women in activities with illicit drugs and interstate travel, per the Daily Wire. The plaintiffs are reportedly seeking a jury trial to hear their case, according to the Daily Wire. Gaetz told the Miami Herald he believes the lawsuit relies too much on a committee report that did not allow him to confront his accusers.
He said, “The lawsuit relies almost exclusively on a Congressional Committee report that didn’t allow me to confront my accusers. Now I will finally have that chance,” per the Washington Examiner. The case now moves to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, where the women will have to prove their claims in open court.
Joel Greenberg, who is also named in the suit, is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence in Florida for sex trafficking and fraud convictions, according to the Washington Examiner.
