House report on Gaetz found evidence of crimes like hiring a prostitute and drug use

[bigtree]

Last edited Tue Dec 24, 2024, 09:37 AM - Edit history (1)

...not any other federally prosecutable crimes like sex trafficking.

Folks looking for some federal indictment based on the House report need more than that for the DOJ to act on. It appears there are only state crimes that were revealed which are past the statute of limitations, and DOJ rarely prosecutes mutually consentual sexual transactions.

Maybe someone can explain how to overcome all of that.

Politico:

The modern federal sex trafficking law is limited to cases involving coercion, fraud or the interstate or international movement of minors for sex. Despite its damning evidence of wide-ranging violations of law and House rules by Gaetz, the Ethics Committee report did not find those factors.

An older statute, known as the Mann Act, sweeps more broadly, but the Justice Department as a matter of discretion limits its application to particularly egregious acts of trafficking.

The most egregious allegation Gaetz faces is having sex with a 17-year-old. But the Ethics Committee report does not say that he transported or arranged for transport of the alleged victim across state lines — an important point because some connection to interstate commerce is required for it to become a federal sex-trafficking crime. The report also says the then-17-year-old told investigators she did not tell Gaetz her age at the time, and that he didn’t ask.

The report does bluntly accuse Gaetz of having violated Florida’s statutory rape law. But it concluded that a state prosecution is impossible at this point because he allegedly had sex with the 17-year-old in 2017, and the state’s statute of limitations has expired.

The report also found “substantial evidence” that Gaetz committed other illegal conduct, including hiring prostitutes and using illicit drugs. Some of that conduct was connected to interstate commerce — but federal prosecutors likely felt it did not rise to the level of what is typically prosecuted under the relevant federal statutes.

read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/12/23/matt-gaetz-ethics-report-doj-criminal-charges-00195955

[WarGamer]

1. TBH... there are more hookers working in D.C. than Vegas, LA or NYC...

[Ms. Toad]

2. Hiring a prostitute is not a federal crime. N/t

[LeftInTX]

3. I think the report is more harmful to him than a failed flimsy prosecution.

[Silent Type]

4. Agree. Don't think he'll overcome this, but you never know. Plus, he was creepy enough long before.

[Frasier Balzov]

5. I'll tell you why Garland didn't prosecute him.

Too timid. Didn't want it to look like political use of the criminal law.

[bigtree]

9. those decisions were initially made by career prosecutors under Garland

...don't see his name mentioned anywhere in reports or court filings.

That would make sense because, AG's don't normally use their office to override decisions made by their prosecutors under the due process of investigation and law.

Where's the crime that the federal government has jurisdiction over and is in evidence? It's not in the House report.

[Frasier Balzov]

11. Now you've got me thinking that maybe

Joel Greenberg receives a Trump commutation.

[bigtree]

12. Greenburg was convicted of his own crimes

...and whatever information he gave to investigators about Gaetz in a plea didn't do much in reducing his 11 year sentence.

[keithbvadu2]

6. Any of it that Trump can give a blanket pardon for?

[Hotler]

7. And purchasing and using drugs on Capital grounds, in his office. Where is the investigation of who is selling

drugs in the Capital building.

[malaise]

8. He should already be in prison

This is sickening.

Happy Holidays Bigtree😀

[bigtree]

10. hey, Malaise

...hope you have a merry holiday, as well!