The Justice Department will not prosecute Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz on sex trafficking charges.
The news comes after a years-long investigation into Gaetz, with federal prosecutors examining if he broke sex trafficking laws and whether he had sexual relations with a 17-year-old girl.
The New York Times reports:
A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. The department's decisionย was earlier reported by CNN.
A lawyer for Mr. Gaetz, Marc Mukasey, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mr. Gaetz has maintained he did nothing wrong.
โI have a suspicion that someone is trying to recategorize my generosity to ex-girlfriends as something more untoward,โ Mr. Gaetzย told The New York Times in 2021. He said he had not had a sexual relationship with a minor and called other accusations of wrongdoing โunequivocally false.โ
Reaction from Gaetz's supporters quickly poured in.
Gaetz' critics let their voices be heard as well.
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