A teenage girl, then homeless and just 17 years old, was forced into sex work to pay for orthodontic treatment. The revelation has added a human dimension to the scandal surrounding US politician Matt Gaetz, who is now effectively out of politics.
The unnamed teenager, according to her lawyer Laura B. Wolf, had sex with Gaetz at a Florida house party and received $400 for the night. Her circumstances were marked by vulnerability, and it's hoped that sharing them will humanize her beyond the sensationalized media portrayals.
Gaetz has denied all allegations against him, calling them "fiction." He claims that his accuser threatened to sue him for $2.3 million if he didn't pay up. Gaetz maintained his innocence, stating that he would be facing a prison sentence if the accusations were true.
The House Ethics Committee report found substantial evidence of Gaetz's wrongdoing, including allegations of prostitution, statutory rape, and obstruction of Congress. The committee's findings led to Gaetz's resignation from Congress last November and his withdrawal from consideration for the US Attorney General position.
Gaetz has consistently denied any wrongdoing, but the new details about the teenager have raised questions about the nature of the scandal and whether there is more to the story than what has been made public.
The unnamed teenager, according to her lawyer Laura B. Wolf, had sex with Gaetz at a Florida house party and received $400 for the night. Her circumstances were marked by vulnerability, and it's hoped that sharing them will humanize her beyond the sensationalized media portrayals.
Gaetz has denied all allegations against him, calling them "fiction." He claims that his accuser threatened to sue him for $2.3 million if he didn't pay up. Gaetz maintained his innocence, stating that he would be facing a prison sentence if the accusations were true.
The House Ethics Committee report found substantial evidence of Gaetz's wrongdoing, including allegations of prostitution, statutory rape, and obstruction of Congress. The committee's findings led to Gaetz's resignation from Congress last November and his withdrawal from consideration for the US Attorney General position.
Gaetz has consistently denied any wrongdoing, but the new details about the teenager have raised questions about the nature of the scandal and whether there is more to the story than what has been made public.
. The thought of some poor girl being forced into sex work to pay for her orthodontic treatment is heartbreaking 
. I mean, can you even imagine how vulnerable and scared she must've felt? It's not about the politics or the scandal anymore, it's about this young girl's story and what happened to her 
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. It's like he's trying to sweep this under the rug and ignore the fact that his actions have caused harm to someone else. The House Ethics Committee report found some pretty strong evidence against him, so it's not like he can just claim he didn't do anything.
. It's a reminder that there are real people behind these scandals, and they deserve our compassion and empathy 
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. How can we even normalize this kind of thing? It's like he thought he was above the law or something. The fact that his accuser threatened to sue him for $2.3 million if he didn't pay up is wild 
. But what really gets me is how the media portrays these kinds of stories - all sensationalized and focused on Gaetz, while ignoring the poor kid who's actually been hurt 
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thinkin bout a 17 yr old girl bein forced into sex work just 2 pay for some dental treatment...like, can't we jus try 2 understand where she's comin from?? 
. And Gaetz's response? "Fiction"?! Like, are you kidding me? 
The girl's lawyer trying to humanize her by sharing this story... I think that's exactly what needs to happen here. We need to see the human side of this scandal and not just be fed sensationalized headlines 
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. Like, can't we do better than this? And to think she was only 17 and already in a situation where someone is taking advantage of her... it's just not right 
. I don't know about you guys, but if someone tells me they had sex with a minor and paid them, that's definitely not a good look 
. And now the House Ethics Committee has found some pretty damning evidence against him... it's like, how could he have been so blind to this? 
. It's just not fair to the poor kid who got caught up in all of this, or to Gaetz himself (if he did do anything wrong) 
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the fact that some 17 year old girl is being forced into sex work because of her mom's debt and it all gets linked to him is just heartbreaking 
we should be focusing on finding her and making sure she gets the help she needs 
. He needs to take responsibility for his actions and not try to downplay them like this. I'm glad the media is trying to humanize the girl involved, though - it's easy to get caught up in the politics of it all, but we need to remember that there are real people affected here 
, this is just heartbreaking 
Interesting how Gaetz's reputation has taken such a hit now that the human side of things is being revealed. Poor girl! 
and what's really crazy is that Gaetz thinks he's innocent but the evidence says otherwise 
. First, we find out that some underage girl was being forced into sex work just so Gaetz could feel like a "big shot" for raking in that $400 
, and now we're supposed to just swallow it without asking questions? I don't think so 
and now we're talking about a politician who allegedly took advantage of her and paid her $400 for the night 
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. We need to keep pushing for more transparency and accountability in our institutions 
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like how can someone else profit from her misery? The way she's being portrayed by the media is really unfair, I feel for her. I wish there were more people speaking out in support of her instead of just focusing on Gaetz's side of the story 
Oh man, can you even imagine being forced into something like that at 17? It's just heartbreaking thinking about her situation... how vulnerable she must've felt... and then having it all exposed for the world to see... 
The fact that she was only trying to get some help with her teeth and now this is what happens... it's just devastating. Gaetz's actions, if proven true, are absolutely appalling. I hope she gets the support and care she needs through this nightmare.