Joel Greenberg Court Documents Rip Into Department of Justice for ‘Fiddling Away’ on Matt Gaetz Case

The Florida attorney, who has provided the federal government with a mountain of evidence documenting the sex crimes allegations of Representative Matt Gaetz, said that the Justice Department – which has yet to prosecute the congressman – “is like Nero squirming as Rome burned.”

In a court filing Monday night, attorneys representing a key government witness in the sex-trafficking investigation ultimately wrote a harsh criticism of the DOJ’s inaction.

The rare and powerful move criticizes the DOJ for trying to ruin the life of a corrupt local tax official who tipped off his friend—Joel Greenberg—but did not pursue a criminal case. against a wealthy, famous Republican congressman who was accused of engaging in drugs and paying to have sex with a teenager.

Greenberg’s defense attorney, Fritz Scheller, ripped through senior corruption prosecutors at DOJ headquarters, suggesting that the case could have been handled better locally.

“The United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Florida is the only DOJ office that has brought numerous prosecutions based on Greenberg’s cooperation,” he wrote. “Perhaps the DOJ will return the prosecutions to the capable hands of the United States Attorneys in the Central District or the State of Florida.”

Greenberg used his time as the elected tax collector of Seminole County to enrich himself and turn the office into a criminal enterprise, hiring friends for absentee jobs and rewarding employees. government contracts in exchange for kickbacks. Since his arrest, he has pleaded guilty and helped local police and federal agents find out illegal real estate transactions, embezzlement on federal COVID-19 wage support and a local Republican plan to run”ghost candidate.

Greenberg also provided federal law enforcement with plenty of damning evidence about Gaetz, sitting for hours with them answering questions about their encounters with the girls, according to two sources familiar with the matter. about those meetings.

The Daily Beast exclusively obtained a love letter Greenberg wrote explaining how Gaetz used him as a middleman to pay for sex with young women and at least one underage girl. The Daily Beast also received Greenberg’s Venmo payments are not public, which reflects that arrangement. In one case, Gaetz paid his friend $900 and wrote “hit up ___” in the memo field, referring to the teenage girl they started seeing when she was underage.

FBI open its investigation entered Gaetz in August 2020, the same month Greenberg was charged with child trafficking. New York Times first revealed the existence of that investigation in March 2021. The Daily Beast then revealed more and more evidence that Gaetz was indeed involved. But in September of this year, washington articles reported that federal prosecutors suddenly froze, deciding not to criminally prosecute the congressman for alleged sex trafficking.

In court filings Monday, Scheller publicly questioned why the DOJ was being so harsh on its clients but not congressmen, noting that the federal government had all the evidence it needed. He criticized how prosecutors wanted to maximize Greenberg’s time behind bars by invoking “deterrence” while completely ignoring the politician.

“If the government is so concerned with general deterrence, why not prosecute other individuals, including public figures, who are also implicated in Greenberg’s crimes?” he asks.

“Indeed, Greenberg’s plea agreement addresses the involvement of multiple accomplices including individuals involved in his sexual offences. The identification of these potential accomplices was not only provided by Mr Greenberg in his numerous offers, but was also collaborated by other witnesses and records. Unfortunately, at the time Greenberg was convicted, many of these individuals had not been charged,” he wrote.

According to three sources familiar with the investigation, federal agents explored Gaetz’s role, as did his friend, powerful Florida lobbyist Chris Dorworth, former state representative Halsey W. Beshears, and Jason Pirozzolo, a doctor who likes to fly them around on private jets.

Scheller also pondered the possibility of an independent prosecutor, specifically assigned to the case, at the discretion of Attorney General Merrick Garland. recent decision appointed a special counsel to monitor the politically sensitive investigation of former President Donald Trump.

There are some similarities here, as Gaetz has aligned himself with the far right in his political party and seeks to elevate his status in American politics as an ally of Trump.

“Perhaps the DOJ will appoint a special counsel to address those individuals involved in the broader national interest,” Scheller wrote. “Perhaps DOJs are master strategists far beyond the capabilities of the undersigned. Or perhaps the DOJ was like Nero squirming around when Rome was on fire.”

While the sentencing memo acknowledges that Greenberg used his tiny elected office to carry out an unprecedented criminal attack—noting that “the government’s description is disappointingly accurate.” hope”—it sought to help him escape the worst possible prison sentences. Scheller claims that his client has bipolar disorder and another mental illness aggravated by his use of amphetamines, pointing to a recent psychiatric evaluation. However, it is not clear how that would explain how Greenberg pressured four women sexual relations.

For its part, the DOJ last week admitted that Greenberg has been quite helpful. Prosecutors credited him for providing “honest and timely information” that led to at least four separate federal indictments. And they also slyly mentioned what could become the ongoing Gaetz investigation, pointing to a sealed court document that has not been made public.

“Additionally, defendant provided substantial assistance on other matters discussed in the sealed supplemental memo regarding defendant’s cooperation,” prosecutors wrote last week.

However, all that help did not bring much clemency. In last week’s sentencing memo, the DOJ said the “importance of his support” should downplay the “criminal level” used to calculate how long he will be behind bars. But prosecutors urged the judge not to consider any other aspect of his life, citing how he “repeatedly used his position to engage in a bold, white crime.” blatant and almost unforgivable including child sex trafficking, illegal production of false identity documents. , aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, spying and conspiracy to defraud the government.”

Greenberg is scheduled to be sentenced in Orlando on December 1.