WaPo article on Gaetz is dubious

[Qutzupalotl]

Link to tweet

As you perhaps know by now, the WaPo published an article saying Gaetz is unlikely to be charged with underaged sex-trafficking. It's a strange article, especially since DOJ NEVER LEAKS. Many on Twitter panned it. Joel Greenberg's attorney Fritz Scheller reacted as follows (more)

From Joel Greenberg's attorney Fritz Scheller: “I have not received any information from the government regarding any decision to abandon its investigation and any prosecution (of Gaetz) ... Based on my knowledge of the evidence, I would be surprised by such a decision.”

Link to tweet

Query: Why would prosecutors eschew Greenberg if they are simultaneously relying upon him in many other cases and have extended his sentencing because of his extensive cooperation?

Link to tweet

All the “career prosecutors” I know would never ever blab to a reporter about an ongoing case.
Something doesn’t add up about this Matt Gaetz story.

Link to tweet

The Washington Post story on Gaetz is dubious.

Político ran THE EXACT SAME STORY a while back. The case has only grown since then.

Feels like something engineered by defense counsel to get a leg up in plea deal negotiations.

[Skittles]

1. I am increasingly dissatisfied with WAPO

they recently had an OPED where they trashed Biden for being "divisive" when he called some repukes SEMI-FASCISTS

I mean, FUCK THAT NOISE

[hlthe2b]

2. File under things that leave one angry and incredulous. I hope it really IS dubious.

[W_HAMILTON]

3. I agree that it smells fishy...

...but at the same time, I have faith in The Washington Post's editorial sense in that I doubt they would let this story go forward without reputable sourcing, so, I'm not sure what to think. I am fine with waiting to see how it all turns out, as I have been doing since this story first broke however many months ago.

I will say, though, that if it is true that they have decided not to press charges against Gaetz because their witnesses """aren't reliable,""" then whatever plea deal Greenberg got, it should be rescinded or rendered invalid and he should have the book thrown at him. It seems there have been some questionable prosecutorial moves regarding these Trump-aligned criminals, where the low hanging fruit get cushy plea deals and yet they apparently don't provide enough evidence to charge the higher-ups. It sure sounds like a sweet deal, getting your crimes whittled down to nothing in exchange for -- nothing, essentially, if the information they provide doesn't warrant additional prosecution. Given the rumors/open knowledge about how there are some hardcore conservative types buried in the FBI and elsewhere, I wouldn't put it past them to pull these sorts of shenanigans to essentially get these crimes swept under the rug.

[reACTIONary]

9. The plea deal was not in exchange...

.... for testimony against Geatz. It had a rider that if he were to provide substantial help in other prosecutions, he would get additional sentencing relief.

https://wapo.st/3dBOhYi

[W_HAMILTON]

13. The plea deal is online and available to read:

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/20708965-greenberg-plea

Defendant agrees to cooperate fully with the United States in the investigation and prosecution of other persons, and to testify, subject to prosecution for perjury or making a false statement, fully and truthfully before any federal court proceeding or federal grand jury in connection with the charges in this case and other matters...

So, yes, his cooperation -- including his truthful representation before the courts -- was a prerequisite to the plea deal he agreed to; the prosecution could have recommended a further reduction in his sentencing if he were to provide substantial assistance, but that is just a bonus (to him) here -- the main requirement was that he assist with their other investigations and prosecutions. If he is deemed not to be a reliable witness, (1) they should have known that before they even offered such a plea deal and (2) if they cannot trust him to not lie in court, that is in direct violation of his plea deal.

Stop going easy on these criminals and letting them to agree to plea deals that include cooperation in further investigations and prosecutions if they don't actually result in further prosecutions. Claiming after all this time that this scumbag wasn't a reputable enough person to bring a case against Gaetz is a waste of everyone's time -- it was known he was a scumbag. This isn't some new bit of information you learn after months and months of investigation.

[reACTIONary]

14. Thanks for the link and the quote....

.... as in any complex negotiation, there can be many benefits and reasons for going ahead. So even if his testimony isn't as useful as originally thought, the deal may still be overall in the public interest.

I'll follow up by reading the deal. Again, thanks for the link.

[W_HAMILTON]

20. It just seems like this has been happening too often.

Prosecutors offering plea deals to these Trump-adjacent criminals that hinge on them offering assistance in further prosecutions -- and then no prosecutions come from them. And these alleged criminals get off easier than they would otherwise have. That does not seem like justice being done to me. If you know the criminals you do catch aren't reliable enough to be witnesses and they cannot provide you further information to prosecute others, stop offering them sweetheart deals and just prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.

[reACTIONary]

23. All sorts of criminals are given plea deals...

... even when they are unable to testify about anything or anybody else. My bet is that most plea deals contain no expectation for testimony at all. Plea deals are entered into because they are of overall benefit to the general welfare. They save the government a lot of time and money and reduce the risk that the perpetrator escapes being found guilty.

[Jarqui]

4. The only polls I can find for Gaetz-Jones in FL-1

Last edited Fri Sep 23, 2022, 09:47 PM - Edit history (1)

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/house/2022/florida/1/
Show Jones ahead and behind.

But the last poll is from Nov 2021.

At a glance, it seems like this might be a contest.

Gaetz dubious behavior has to be hurting.

So I wonder if this is a BS story to help him win in November ...

EDIT:
FL-01 looks pretty red. Republican controlled since 1995.
Gaetz is out raising her 10:1 in $
https://www.opensecrets.org/races/candidates?cycle=2022&id=FL01&spec=N
31% of her money raised was self financed. 0% for Gaetz

[Generic Brad]

10. I posted a similar thought here this afternoon

Apparently the “DOJ is doing nothing” and the “Fire Garland now” had to swarm DU, Daily Kos, and Reddit with the usual hair on fire rhetoric today. When I read the article I saw no official DOJ statement and it appeared as if the source was someone in Gaetz’s camp who was trying to help his campaign.

[Jarqui]

12. If you've got pedophile accusations chasing you around

that cannot be good for your campaign.

And there was a lot of stories floating around about him seeking a pardon - which is an admission of guilt.
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/matt-gaetzs-request-pardon-comes-sharper-focus-rcna48300

Gaetz father has deep pockets.


I don't know tons about Rebekah Jones but she stood up to DeSantis, fought the good fight for Covid data quality in FL, I'd like to see her beat this awful person.

[SouthBayDem]

17. Jones is no saint.

Rebekah Jones, 30, was charged in July 2019 with stalking a former boyfriend – long before the pandemic that catapulted her into headlines and television interviews. Police said she published a 68-page document online discussing private details of her relationship with her former boyfriend, including explicit texts and nude photographs, and shared the link with him.

The two had sex in a classroom in 2017 when Jones was his married professor at Florida State University, the man told police. She was fired from the university after threatening to give a failing grade to his roommate as revenge, he said. Jones said the two had a six-month affair until October 2017, and the man is the father of her daughter born in July 2018.

https://news.wjct.org/state-news/2020-07-23/criminal-stalking-case-against-fired-fla-health-data-scientist-to-drag-into-august

[Jarqui]

19. Ugh

Why are so many people like this even a consideration for this position?

[Generic Brad]

22. In the GOP it is a job requirement

It is much easier to control a candidate if they are compromised six ways to Sunday. It is a design, not a bug.

[SheltieLover]

5. Kicking for visibility

[Ponietz]

6. "Unnamed senior department officials say career prosecutors recommend"

Doesn’t sound like DOJ at this stage. Cannon was a career prosecutor before becoming judge. Turd polish.

[ToxMarz]

7. Sounds like, as President Biden would say,

Malarkey!

[reACTIONary]

8. Here is the article, no paywall....

https://wapo.st/3dBOhYi

[Qutzupalotl]

15. Thank you!

[Martin68]

11. Let's wait and see. A Wapo journalists could have receive leaked info from the DOJ, or it

could have been misinformation they were fed. Time will tell.

[SheltieLover]

16. Kicking for visibility

[Kid Berwyn]

18. Lie Honig: Gaetz decision is 'atrocious prosecutorial practice'

Legal analyst says Matt Gaetz decision is 'atrocious prosecutorial practice'

Justin Klawans
Raw Story, September 23, 2022

Elie Honig, a former federal prosecutor and senior legal analyst for CNN, explained the problems with the DOJ's moves on Twitter. "The problem with DOJ’s approach to the Gaetz case is you don’t cooperate with a horrible person like Joel Greenberg *unless and until* you know for sure you can and will rely on his testimony. To flip Greenberg and decide later that he’s unusable is atrocious prosecutorial practice," Honig said.

The person Honig is referring to, Joel Greenberg, was a former tax collector previously associated with Gaetz. He was charged in 2020 and pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor, in addition to a host of other charges.

In cooperating with the DOJ for a deal, Greenberg provided evidence that pointed toward Gaetz allegedly committing similar crimes with minors. This evidence reportedly pointed toward Greenberg allegedly paying a 17-year-old girl to have sex with Gaetz.

Snip…

Prosecutors flip bad guys all the time; I've flipped killers. But you don't give a cooperation deal until you have fully vetted them and are sure they are strongly corroborated," Honig added. "To do otherwise is to cut Greenberg a huge break, without making other big cases from his testimony.

Continues…

https://www.rawstory.com/matt-gaetz-doj-investigation/

[W_HAMILTON]

21. That's exactly what I'm saying.

And this seems to be happening far too often with these Trump-aligned criminals: they get sweetheart plea deals to provide evidence for further prosecutions -- and then no prosecutions take place. Stop offering them plea deals for their assistance if you can't rely on their assistance and/or their assistance leads you nowhere.

[Ohio Joe]

24. Gaetz has not declared victory...

That seems odd