I'm not hearing about prosecuting Gaetz, or investigating the abuse of minors, or their recovery

[lindysalsagal]

Is anyone advocating for the underage girls he abused?

If the GQP party now just the rape party?

[onecaliberal]

1. Nope. Lots of elevating the rapists though.

GOP thinks rape is legal. Your body their choice. They told you.

[Mike Nelson]

2. I think the victim...

... was 17, and might have continued as a prostitute after turning legal? That might put her - and the other young women - in legal jeopardy. I have another thought. How about appointing Melania as a "Sex Work Tsar"? She has experience with pictures, at least, and has a spouse who is known as a sex abuser. She could hold seminars and help young people (young men, also) navigate folks like Matt.

[Igel]

7. Skimming the report shows up one underage sexual encounter.

(I might have skimmed a bit too superficially.)

This may be important:

The Committee did not receive any evidence indicating that Representative Gaetz was aware that Victim A was a minor when he had sex with her.

Or it might not be.

She finished her junior year per the report and was 17 in July '17. I'm not sure I'd be able to tell the difference between her and somebody that turned 18 a few months later. (And my classroom's populated with juniors and seniors, with the occasional eccentric sophomore.) But I don't know if there's a requirement under the law that the man know that his partner's a minor or even have reasonable grounds to suspect it.

He's a sleazebag, but I'm not sure a DA would want to take on that case, with a single count. (Now the drug cases, sure.)

[SheltieLover]

9. He knew or should have known

[Wiz Imp]

11. One 17 year old girl. He allegedly had sex with her twice (at the same party)

[Wiz Imp]

13. Not knowing she was 17 is not a valid legal defense.

Under Florida law, a person who is 24 years old or older who has sex with a person 16 or 17 years of age has committed a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

"A person charged with this offense may not claim ignorance or misrepresentation of the minor’s age as a defense," the report pointed out. State law also prohibits consideration of the minor's previous sexual conduct as relevant.

[W_HAMILTON]

14. Yep. Or else all the statutory rapists could just get off by taking a "don't ask, don't tell" approach.

[Wiz Imp]

17. Right.

Although unfortunately, many people who may serve on juries would likely take it into account when deciding guilt or innocence. There's no justification for doing it, but some people would do it anyway (perhaps thinking they could have been caught themselves at some point with someone 17 or under because at the time they thought they were older).

[Mike Nelson]

16. It's as bad as...

... it's going to get for him. Good. For her, we might hear how she took the money, did drugs, etc... she was 17 and I don't need to hear her name and see her going in and out of courtrooms - unless she wants this, which I doubt. I'd say he needs some looking at... isn't he the one who adopted a teenager? Maybe that was so he could meet more teenage girls. I hope he's not approved to adopt any more teenagers.

[Scrivener7]

29. We call that rape, son. So does the law.

[Hekate]

40. TY. I'm getting perturbed at the posters making excuses for Gaetz

“She didn’t look that young “ what BS.
I recall a case some years back where bunch of guys in their 20s whined about the 13 year old they had raped —“She didn’t look 13! She looked at least 19! “

[dutch777]

3. Will the women be willing to press charges? DOJ declined to follow up before. Wonder where FL will go with state level

issues? I have no hope he will be charged. At least he is out of Congress, for now, and maybe somewhat disgraced but doubt we have heard the last of him. At least he won't be Attorney General,

[Think. Again.]

4. What sickens me is that garland has refused to prosecute...

...and with all of this evidence right in front of the ethics committee, they themselves did not feel duty bound to report their knowledge of these child sex crimes to any other authorities who would be responsible for securing the safety of the public.

[gab13by13]

6. Garland had all of the evidence.

Maybe he is secretly doing an investigation, he doesn't leak.

[Think. Again.]

8. yeah.

I'm beginning to think it might be worth doing a little investigating into garland.

[dchill]

18. I think a pig just flew out of my ass!

[Ms. Toad]

48. The child sex crimes were STATE crimes.

It is Florida that needs to prosecute (if the statute of limitations hasn't expired).

Both the DOJ and the House Committee determined there was insufficient evidence for the Federal sex trafficking charges.

[Think. Again.]

50. Then the evidence should have been immediately turned over to Florida.

[Oneear]

5. $90,000.00 Payment to Chicks so it was not Free

I do hope the IRS did not take a deduction for these expenses.

[Ms. Toad]

49. "Chicks"? n/t

[Wiz Imp]

10. The statute of limitations for statutory rape in the state of Florida is three years.

In other words, the victim must bring forth and file any rape charges within three years after the commission of the offense to be legally binding and valid for prosecution.

So no longer prosecutable

[paleotn]

21. THAT was no longer prosecutable. So you think he suddenly found Jesus afterwards? What's he been up to since?

That's how law enforcement works for the rest of us. He ain't the rest of us.

[Wiz Imp]

25. Your point is valid, but nobody has provided any evidence that he committed other statutory rapes

more recently. It absolutely wouldn't surprise me if he had, but until someone comes forward with an accusation or evidence, he can't be prosecuted for it.

[paleotn]

30. Isn't that what investigations are for?

Or do we just sit around on our heinies and wait for it to drop from the sky? Not sure if you're familiar with some of the more famous investigations, back when we had a functioning DoJ. Abscam perhaps? Many others. My point being, prosecutable evidence rarely just magically appears. Sometimes you have to work for it. Like the old saying, if there's smoke, I bet you there's a fire somewhere. Maybe we should go check that out.

[Ocelot II]

12. Statute of limitations is why.

[paleotn]

31. And he suddenly found Jesus and never, ever did any of that stuff ever, ever again.

[Wiz Imp]

15. I think this is the key reason the DOJ didn't charge him"

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5053303-ethics-committee-gaetz-report/

The report did not find that Gaetz had engaged in sex trafficking, even though it said Gaetz traveled with women whom he paid for sex “on several occasions.”

This was the most serious allegation which apparently can't be proven. The statutory rape allegation was proven to the satisfactioon of many, but the statute of limitations had run out.

The panel said it identified at least 20 instances between the beginning of 2017 and the middle of 2020 with “substantial evidence” that Gaetz “met with women who were paid for sex and/or drugs,” and said it received testimony about “multiple additional events, trips, or parties” where Gaetz “may have paid women for sex and drugs,” but the panel could not determine the specific dates or locations for them all.

I can't find any info on what the specific charges here might be, or if the statute of limitations may have run out on them as well.

In a finding that says Gaetz “dispensed special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship,” the report says he “used the power of his office to assist a woman with whom he was engaged in a sexual relationship in obtaining an expedited passport,” despite that woman not being his constituent.

The committee also found that Gaetz obstructed the panel’s probe, noting he “declined to provide testimony voluntarily and did not appear when subpoenaed,” and charging he “routinely ignored or significantly delayed producing relevant information requested by the Committee.”

These are definitely ethics violations but I'm not sure if the explicitly broke any laws.

[paleotn]

20. If it had been anyone else. Drugs? Underage sex? Lets raid the fucker's house and office.

If he was doing it then (statute of limitations) it stands to reason he didn't just suddenly go clean . But it isn't just anyone else, is it. So Garland just let it all slide.

Perhaps the worst AG in American history.

[Wiz Imp]

26. He may well be guilty of other statutory rapes, but nobody has accused him of it.

So you expect LE to just make up charges without evidence?

[paleotn]

27. You're not all that into investigations and probable cause I suppose?

Not like he suddenly found Jesus and cleaned up his life. But OK. Nothing to see here. Statute of limitations. Move along. Move along.

There's more than enough info available to us mere mortals for DoJ to start poking around. Asking questions. Interviewing people. What about what we mortals don't know? But oh no. Not with this DoJ.

[Wiz Imp]

33. The DOJ did investigate for more than 2 years. You just don't like the results of that investigation.

You have no idea what they did and didn't do as part of that investigation.

[paleotn]

35. Did he simply clean up his act afterwards? Doubtful.

Stands to reason an actual, in depth investigation would find he kept on keeping on. And why not? No repercussions. Like I said, he didn't suddenly find Jesus and become a model citizen. That's not how human nature works. Sorry, ain't buying the "circle the wagons around Garland" bullshit.

[Scrivener7]

32. I guarantee that a young black man from the projects would be serving a long sentence for the

drug charges alone.

[paleotn]

36. Bingo.

[paleotn]

19. Yes. They are the rape party.

[JoseBalow]

22. I'm not a fan of the phrase "rape party"

[paleotn]

24. Why not? That's what they are.

[JoseBalow]

38. Because it sounds like a celebration

[paleotn]

43. Huh?

You're kidding, right?

[JoseBalow]

44. Yes

[paleotn]

46. Thought you were serious.

[JoseBalow]

47. That's part of the joke

[Scrivener7]

34. Then don't use it.

[Hekate]

41. It's who they are. Sorry if it offends

[NotHardly]

23. He needs to be charged and arrested... if not, it's just another rich bro getting away with it all

... anything less is just noise to try to quell the angry masses

[Wiz Imp]

28. What specifically should he be charged and arrested for?

It's too late to charge him with statutory rape.

[Vogon_Glory]

37. IOKALAYAAR Rules!

And the lamestream corporate media moves along looking for some gaudy gimcrack to distract themselves.

[Hekate]

39. Dunno but there was one journalist who kept referring to the girls as prostitutes. repeatedly. It was statutory rape

Statutory rape and sex trafficking o f minors

[Bettie]

42. It is the US

If you have enough wealth, you can do whatever you want, with one exception.

Thou shalt not screw over other rich, white dudes.

That's it.

What's funny to me is how disappointed a lot of well-off people who think they are rich enough to matter find themselves getting screwed over with the rest of us.