A hacker reportedly gained access to a computer file that contained damaging testimony made about Donald Trump’s controversial attorney general candidateMatt Gaetz.
The file is said to include testimony from a woman who claimed that she had sex with Gaetz in 2017 when she was 17, as well as corroborating testimony by a second woman who said that she witnessed the incident, a source told The New York Times.
It comes amid ongoing concerns over the former Florida congressman’s nomination. Gaetz, 42, previously faced a Justice Department’s investigation into allegations he sex trafficked a minor, but this has since been closed.
A House Ethics Committee also investigated allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor brought against Gaetz, with pressure now mounting for its report to be released ahead of Senate confirmation hearings.
Gaetz, who has not been charged with a crime, has denied all wrongdoing, claiming the investigation is based on “lies.”
However, the hacked computer file containing the reportedly damaging documents does not relate to either investigation by the DOJ or the House Ethics Committee.
The Times reports that the testimony comes from a civil suit being pursued by a Florida businessman and friend of Gaetz’s – Christopher Dorworth.
Dorworth filed the suit against both the woman who claims she had sex with Gaetz when she was 17, and Joel Greenberg, an ally of Gaetz who is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to federal sex trafficking charges involving the same woman.
In the suit, Dorworth has claimed that he was defamed by both Greenberg and the woman, who both told federal authorities that he hosted parties where he and multiple people – including Gaetz – took drugs and openly had sex.
The woman’s testimony about Gaetz was one of several from people who say they were witnesses at the event – and are in response to Dorworth’s suit. According to The Times, the hacked information also includes sworn testimony from Dorworth and his wife, and from Michael Fischer, Gaetz’s former campaign treasurer.
The hacker has reportedly not contacted the lawyers in the case and the information, as well as the testimony pertaining to Gaetz, does not appear to have been made public.
The source familiar with the situation told The Times that it is not clear what the motivation of the hacker is.
