Jeffrey Epstein case will impact how Matt Gaetz is charged in underage sex case: prosecutor
On CNN Saturday, attorney and former federal prosecutor Shan Wu outlined a major reason why Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) will face tight scrutiny in the DOJ sex trafficking investigation: authorities do not want a repeat of the saga of Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire wealth manager who initially was let off with an excessively lenient plea agreement.
"I think one important context is the Epstein case," said Wu. "Because the Justice Department has messed this up once before, letting a sex trafficker go with just a slap on the wrist. They're not going to let that happen again."
"This is a different environment than it was before," Wu added. "The testimony of any of these complainants, particularly the underaged minor, will be devastating. This is a new time. We care about victims, and this is a problem for Gaetz."
Ironically, when the Epstein case was reopened in 2019, Gaetz was one of the few people pushing against it, noted the Miami Herald: "In an interview ... Gaetz said reexamining [Alex] Acosta's handling of Epstein's case, which came under increased scrutiny after the Herald's three-part series Perversion of Justice, sets a 'dangerous' precedent for prosecutors."
Gaetz has vehemently denied all allegations and claimed they were fabricated as part of an extortion racket against his family. However, the former Florida tax official at the heart of the probe is working on a plea deal, which could ultimately lead to new information being exposed about Gaetz.
Watch below:
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