Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) called on Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to step down Thursday after The Daily Beast revealed that the Florida Republican sent money to an accused sex trafficker. Kinzinger, the first Republican in Congress to say Gaetz must step down, wrote simply, “Matt Gaetz needs to resign” above a link to the exclusive account of how Gaetz sent money via Venmo to a close political ally and accused sex trafficker, Joel Greenberg, who then sent money to three young women. Gaetz sent $900 to Greenberg with the message “hit up ___,” using a nickname for a woman known to both men who had turned 18 less than six months prior. Gaetz is under federal investigation for sex trafficking over an alleged relationship with a 17-year-old and alleged payments to women for sex. He has denied the allegations against him.
