# Matt Gaetz being investigated for sex with 17 year old girl (DOJ declines to charge 2023-02-15) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 30, 2021, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052 "2021-03-30T22:13:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2021, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052/283 "2021-04-11T23:11:10Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > …Lindsey Graham, who I’m beginning to think is covering up nothing more pedestrian than some kind of hetero sex thing that threatens his interests in unclear ways… Maybe I misunderstand what you are saying but I seriously doubt any sex scandal LG is concerned about is of the _hetero_ sex variety. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2021, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052/284 "2021-04-11T23:23:01Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > As one who was raped as a child, I will attest that one is, in fact, categorically worse than the other. Me too. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052/285 "2021-04-12T09:44:50Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > Maybe I misunderstand what you are saying but I seriously doubt any sex scandal LG is concerned about is of the _hetero_ sex variety. I understand what you’re insinuating and that’s exactly what I’m challenging. With so many in Trump’s orbit simply turning out to be male heterosexual rapists, with their entire defense being “they’re trying to cancel me”, maybe Occam wants to tell us that’s the thread that unites them all. No need to accuse anyone of being gay (which isn’t a crime), or of running sophisticated espionage/crime syndicates. Maybe they just like screwing teens. The evidence suggests that’s broadly true. Maybe rapists are attracted to high political office because it’s the easiest way to get away with it. The evidence suggests they’re getting away with it. Maybe that’s the simple explanation for the otherwise inexplicable mutual back-scratching. Maybe that’s why the people Trump supports turn out to have massive sex scandals. Not that he gravitates toward scumbags (which he does), but that everyone understands he’s running a massive reputation-laundering ring for sex crimes (which, again, requires nothing more sophisticated than covering each other’s backs). ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052/286 "2021-04-12T11:40:37Z")
Just to be clear, Gaetz is ALSO accused of harassment and creating a hostile workplace, on top of the rape and trafficking. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052/287 "2021-04-12T12:25:02Z")
Wait, but what about the statement from The Wimmins? ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052/288 "2021-04-12T12:47:21Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Honestly, after the whole secretly adopting a teenage boy thing, the only thing that surprises me here is the word “girl”. NAILED IT! > [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Well, [this](https://www.pnj.com/story/news/politics/2017/12/29/matt-gaetz-defends-lone-no-vote-anti-human-trafficking-bill/990407001/) suddenly makes a lot more sense. Weezus, you can’t make this shit up! Well, if you did, you would be laughed off any TV show lot. (“Law & Order: Political Crimes Unit” studio conference room) “No, no, no, see this congressman is accused of paying an underage girl and flying her across state lines. That violates human trafficking laws, and it turns out he’s the one No vote on a bill against human trafficking.” “Oh, please, who would buy that? Not even Qanon followers would think that makes sense.” From **Buck\_Godot** ’s article: “Matt would be an assistant manager at Walmart if it weren’t for his father,” says [Steven Specht](https://ballotpedia.org/Steven_Specht), a Democrat who ran against Gaetz for Congress in 2016. OUCH! (Looks at name badge) Hey, I resent that! > [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > (quote from article) her videos showcasing her multiple capabilities to smoke weed, What? “Multiple capabilities”? What’s that supposed to mean? She can smoke weed normally, and with her nose, with her ears, and with her butthole? I think that guy meant “multiple methods”, but it’s unclear. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052/289 "2021-04-12T13:04:57Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > Maybe I misunderstand what you are saying but I seriously doubt any sex scandal LG is concerned about is of the _hetero_ sex variety. I’m not all that comfortable about insinuations about someone’s sexual orientation. Way too reminiscent of the Lavender Scare, and '50s era Hollywood gossip rags. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052/290 "2021-04-12T13:15:45Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > Maybe I misunderstand what you are saying but I seriously doubt any sex scandal LG is concerned about is of the _hetero_ sex variety. I’m reminded of the scene from _The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot_ when Peter Davidson, Sylvester McCoy, and Colin Baker run into John Barrowman desperately hiding his secret wife and children. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052/291 "2021-04-12T13:29:48Z")
> **[Embattled Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz is denied a meeting with Trump | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/11/politics/matt-gaetz-donald-trump-denied-meeting/index.html)** > > Rep. Matt Gaetz, who's facing a federal investigation into sex trafficking allegations, was recently denied a meeting with Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate as the ex-President and his allies continue to distance themselves from the Florida... ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052/292 "2021-04-12T13:49:28Z")
Sad! 🙃 ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052/293 "2021-04-12T13:57:10Z")
When you’re too skeevy for Trump… ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052/294 "2021-04-12T14:03:34Z")
Has nothing to do with skeeviness. The sole factor is whether or not Gaetz can actually do anything for him. Trump has decided, no. So over the side he goes. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052/295 "2021-04-12T14:15:37Z")
Being skeevy isn’t the issue for Trump, it’s the getting caught. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052/296 "2021-04-12T14:22:36Z")
I really, really hate these types of stories. During the entire Trump administration there was constant breathless reporting from anonymous sources. It’s pointless - easy to deny, no way to push back on the denials, and just gives fuel to the “biased fake news” narrative. This is the “meat” of the CNN article: > [@](#): > > “Two people familiar with the matter said Gaetz tried to schedule a visit with Trump after it was first revealed that he was being investigated, but the request was rejected by aides close to the former President, who have urged Trump not to stick his neck out to defend Gaetz. Harlan Hill, a spokesman for Gaetz, said the congressman did not request a meeting with Trump this week.” That tells me absolutely nothing. Jason Miller also denied that a meeting request happened, and unless CNN or someone else gets somebody on the record then what was the point of the story in the first place? Oh yeah… clicks. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052/297 "2021-04-12T14:45:56Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > and unless CNN or someone else gets somebody on the record then what was the point of the story in the first place? Oh yeah… clicks. Agreed. If I was a conservative politician, I would have my staff leak this stuff all the time. Hell, I’d coordinate with Trump to also leak it, and then very publicly meet with him a week later to make CNN et al. look bad. That said, Gaetz is definitely persona non grata anywhere but MTG’s and Gym Jordan’s offices. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052/298 "2021-04-12T16:12:12Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > No need to accuse anyone of being gay (which isn’t a crime) … Since at least 2003. Graham’s Party, though, includes a few (or many) members who seem to think it again ought to be. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052/299 "2021-04-12T16:29:32Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Since at least 2003. Graham’s Party, though, includes a few (or many) members who seem to think it again ought to be. No doubt. Which is disgusting. That said, I’m not at all comfortable with insinuating that Sen. Graham is gay (and more than that – I’ve seen him referred to as “Lady G” more than once here at SD). I don’t know if Senator Graham is gay. Until I started seeing insinuations to the effect that he is here at SD, it had never occurred to me to wonder. I still really don’t give a damn. I have nothing to say in defense of Senator Graham, especially in the last few years. His craven flip-flop to Trumpism is disgusting. But I hate malicious gossip, and we should be better than that. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052/300 "2021-04-12T16:32:50Z")
The irony, of course, is that the people accusing him of being gay don’t see anything wrong with being gay - what he’s _really_ being accused of is rampant hypocrisy in being a key member of a party that has openly sought to persecute gay people. But I take the point about tossing the accusation about cavalierly. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052/301 "2021-04-12T16:40:35Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > “Lady G” Lady G is supposedly what he’s known as among gay prostitutes in the DC area. Cite: > **[Perspective | #LadyGraham went viral — and not just because of Lindsey...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/06/10/ladygraham-went-viral-not-just-because-lindsey-grahams-politics/)** > > The long history behind sexual rumors about political bachelors. People here have said it’s mis-gendering him or something, which isn’t quite right. Anyway, just so you know the background. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052/302 "2021-04-12T16:42:13Z")
Speaking as part of the queer community, Lindsey Graham is gayer than a Easter parade inside a San Francisco bathhouse. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt-gaetz-being-investigated-for-sex-with-17-year-old-girl-doj-declines-to-charge-2023-02-15/939052.md?page=16)