Matt Gaetz allegedly showed nude photos of women he claimed to have slept with to lawmakers

It's become a bit of a point of pride among locals that even our petit boug are just well-heeled iterations of Florida Man. Our local politicos are downright weirder than most places, to reflect the character of the place they're supposed to represent. Still, there are unwritten rules around the tone of famous Florida Man stories and, similarly, that pride only holds as long as people aren't being hurt. It's hard to laugh along with an out-and-out creep.

And all possibility of criminality aside, Florida House representative Matt Gaetz does appear to be a real skeeve. The latest reports claim that Gaetz showed nude photos of women he claimed to have slept with to his fellow legislators.

Two unnamed sources told CNN they were shown the photos and videos directly. All the anonymous tipsters shared that Gaetz was a known braggart when it came to his relationships. One of the sources got specific, and shared that one video was of a naked woman hula hooping.

Those allegations have nothing to do with the ongoing Department of Justice investigation into the congressman. Alongside former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg, Gaetz is being investigated for sex crimes and possible misuse of funds. The latest revelation in that case comes courtesy of the New York Times, who reports that text messages and cash payment app receipts appear to show Gaetz paying multiple women for sex.

The story laid out by Times sources shows Greenberg connecting Gaetz with women he met on various sugar daddy platforms, where women are linked with well-off men who trade gifts, money and other expenses in exchange for dates. The sources allege that Gaetz had sex with several women he met via Greenberg and paid them over cash transfer apps.

Several of the women who spoke to the Times allege Gaetz took ecstasy during their encounters, which is not the first time Gaetz has been accused of illicit drug use by those in the know. A recent Daily Beast article paints a similar picture.

Gaetz, for his part, denied the allegations through his office.

“Matt Gaetz has never paid for sex,” the statement shared with the Times said. “Matt Gaetz refutes all the disgusting allegations completely. Matt Gaetz has never ever been on any such websites whatsoever. Matt Gaetz cherishes the relationships in his past and looks forward to marrying the love of his life.”

He claims the initial leak of the DOJ investigation into whether or not he had an inappropriate relationship with a minor was part of an extortion plot to bilk his family for money. In an interview with Tucker Carlson and subsequent tweets, Gaetz asked the DOJ to release tapes that would prove his family was the target of an extortion scheme.

This article first appeared at our sister publication Orlando Weekly.

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This article appears in Apr 1-7, 2021.