Gaetz probe includes scrutiny of potential public corruption tied to medical marijuana industry localnews8.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from localnews8.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Federal investigators are focused on Matt Gaetz Bahamas trip in 2018
Sources said Gaetz took the trip with marijuana entrepreneur Dr Jason Pirozzolo
Trip involved several young women
Investigated as potential effort to influence the lawmaker
Pirozzolo paid for the travel expenses and female escorts, sources have said
Investigators are allegedly looking into whether the escorts were illegally trafficked across state or international lines for the purpose of sex with Gaetz
Gaetz introduced medical marijuana legislation in the House
Gaetz has denied allegations against him and prosecutors have not charged him
Gaetz probe includes scrutiny of potential public corruption tied to medical marijuana industry cnn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cnn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Apr 15, 2021
Jason Pirozzolo, a Florida hand surgeon, is being investigated by the feds for “having allegedly paid for the travel expenses, accommodations, and female escorts” on a trip to the Bahamas with Congressman Matt Gaetz. According to a CBS News report,” Investigators are trying to find out whether Gaetz was exchanging political access or legislative favors in return for paid escorts. He has twice introduced the Medical Cannabis Research Act in Congress which has never been voted on.
Pirozzolo, cofounder and chairman of the board of the Medical Marijuana Physicians Association, had Gaetz speak at two separate MMPA conferences, one of which was followed by a Gaetz campaign fundraiser. He also donated to Gaetz’s campaign. Last week, Pirozzolo closed his office for a family emergency.
A spokesman for Mr. Gaetz said he has never paid for sex, nor had sex with an underage girl.
“What began with blaring headlines about ‘sex trafficking’ has now turned into a general fishing exercise about vacations and consensual relationships with adults,” the spokesman told CBS News. “Yesterday, we even learned of some nonsense ‘pardon’ story that turned out to be false and today it’s just more euphemism.”
CBS News said investigators are probing whether Mr. Gaetz was accepting escorts in exchange for political access or legislative favors.
Mr. Gaetz had introduced the Medical Cannabis Research Act in April 2018 and again in January 2019, but it never came to a vote.