Hacker reportedly accessed file with damaging testimony about Matt Gaetz
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According to reports, a hacker managed to breach a computer file that held incriminating statements regarding Matt Gaetz, who is a contentious candidate for attorney general under Donald Trump.
According to a source speaking to The New York Times, the document reportedly contains statements from a woman who alleged she had a sexual encounter with Gaetz in 2017 when she was 17 years old. Additionally, there is supporting testimony from another woman who claimed to have witnessed the event.
This arises during ongoing worries about the nomination of the former Florida congressman. Gaetz, who is 42 years old, was previously investigated by the Justice Department over claims that he was involved in sex trafficking a minor; however, that investigation has now been concluded.
The House Ethics Committee looked into claims of inappropriate behavior involving a minor that were made against Gaetz. There is increasing pressure for the committee to make its findings public before the Senate confirmation hearings begin.
Gaetz, who has not been accused of any crime, has rejected all allegations, stating that the investigation is founded on falsehoods.
Nonetheless, the compromised computer file that holds the allegedly harmful documents is not connected to either the investigation by the Department of Justice or the House Ethics Committee.
According to The Times, the statements arise from a civil lawsuit filed by Christopher Dorworth, a businessman from Florida and a friend of Gaetz.
Dorworth initiated legal action against the woman who alleges that she had sexual relations with Gaetz at the age of 17, as well as against Joel Greenberg. Greenberg, a close associate of Gaetz, is presently serving an 11-year prison term after admitting to federal charges of sex trafficking related to the same individual.
In the lawsuit, Dorworth alleges that he was slandered by both Greenberg and the woman, who informed federal officials that he organized gatherings where he and several others – including Gaetz – consumed drugs and engaged in sexual activity without any discretion.
The woman's account regarding Gaetz is among multiple statements from individuals who claim to have seen what happened at the event, and they are related to Dorworth's lawsuit. As reported by The Times, the breached data also contains sworn statements from both Dorworth and his spouse, along with testimony from Michael Fischer, who used to be Gaetz's campaign treasurer.
The hacker is said to have not reached out to the attorneys involved in the case, and the details and statements related to Gaetz seem to remain undisclosed.
A person with knowledge of the situation informed The Times that the hacker's motivations remain uncertain.
