Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, who reinvented himself as a television host for San Diego-based One America News Network following the collapse of his nomination to become U.S. Attorney General, is facing a new federal lawsuit accusing him of participating in a sex trafficking scheme involving young women, drugs, money and lavish trips. The allegations have thrust the controversial political personality back into the national spotlight while renewing attention on his increasingly visible connection to San Diego, where he films his television program and has repeatedly been spotted by residents around town.
The lawsuit, filed October 15 in federal court in Orlando, Florida, by two women identified as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, accuses Gaetz and two politically connected associates of exploiting financially vulnerable young women between 2017 and January 2019. The complaint alleges that the defendants coordinated payments, supplied drugs and arranged travel in exchange for sexual encounters, using their wealth and positions of influence to manipulate women who were barely out of high school.
For San Diegans, the case has an unusual local connection. Gaetz, once one of President Donald Trump's most outspoken congressional allies, now hosts The Matt Gaetz Show on One America News Network, commonly known as OAN or OANN, a conservative television network headquartered on Morena Boulevard near the Costco Wholesale location in the Bay Park area.
Since joining the network in January 2025, Gaetz has become something of an unlikely local celebrity, although not necessarily a welcome one. Reports of sightings in La Jolla, Clairemont and other neighborhoods have circulated on social media, sometimes generating thousands of comments and reactions from residents surprised to encounter the former congressman in ordinary San Diego settings.
One particularly popular Reddit post described Gaetz waiting for a takeout order at a Taco Bell in Clairemont. The seemingly mundane encounter generated considerable attention, with commenters expressing everything from disbelief that the former congressman was spending time in San Diego to amusement that someone with his national profile was grabbing fast food near the headquarters of his television employer.
Another post in the San Diego subreddit, titled "Matt Gaetz is in La Jolla," described an alleged restaurant sighting. A separate thread posted by someone visiting California featured another purported encounter and generated thousands of reactions, many from residents criticizing the former congressman's presence in the region.
The accounts are anecdotal and have not all been independently verified by SanDiegoVille. They do, however, illustrate how Gaetz's arrival at OAN has turned a national political figure into a recurring subject of local conversation, particularly among residents who were unaware that the controversial network operates out of San Diego.
The attention has extended beyond chance encounters. In another widely circulated Reddit post, a social media creator shared a video documenting an attempted satirical confrontation at OAN's Morena Boulevard headquarters. The video attracted thousands of reactions, although commenters were divided over whether the stunt was effective or simply awkward.
Together, the posts reflect the unusual intersection of national political scandal and everyday San Diego life. A former congressman whose nomination to lead the U.S. Department of Justice collapsed amid allegations of sexual misconduct can now be found hosting a political television program from a commercial corridor better known to many locals for Costco runs, car dealerships and neighborhood businesses.
SanDiegoVille previously reported on Gaetz's local connections in March 2025, including accounts of sightings around La Jolla and speculation that he had established a temporary residence in the area. When contacted directly at the time, Gaetz confirmed that his television work regularly brought him to San Diego, although he disputed the suggestion that he had relocated permanently.
"My wife and I live in Niceville, Florida. I film The Matt Gaetz Show out of Washington DC and San Diego too, so I'm here off-and-on," Gaetz told SanDiegoVille in March 2025.
Asked how he expected to contribute to the local community, Gaetz offered a characteristically playful response.
"As for how I will impact the community, I really think I've bonded with some of the seals in La Jolla," he said, adding that he was proud to be part of the One America News family.
Whether Gaetz has since established a more permanent residence in San Diego remains unconfirmed. Online commenters have repeatedly claimed that he lives locally, but those assertions are not proof of residency, and his last direct statement to SanDiegoVille identified Florida as his primary home.
His professional ties to San Diego, however, are well established, making the latest allegations more than a distant political story for a city that has become part of his post-congressional career.
The new civil lawsuit names Gaetz, former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg and former Florida state legislator Christopher Dorworth, along with businesses associated with Greenberg's family. The plaintiffs allege that Greenberg recruited women through the website SeekingArrangement, a platform associated with relationships involving financial support, and introduced them to a network of politically influential men.
According to the complaint, Jane Doe 1 was approximately 20 years old when she was introduced to Gaetz in 2017, while Jane Doe 2 was approximately 22. Both women describe financial insecurity at the time and allege that the defendants exploited their economic circumstances by offering money, travel and other assistance in exchange for sexual activity.
The complaint alleges that Gaetz and Greenberg made repeated payments to the women through electronic payment platforms, sometimes using descriptions that appeared unrelated to sexual activity. Among the payment descriptions identified in the lawsuit are "Being my friend," "Car deductible" and "Love you."
The plaintiffs contend that the transactions were part of a broader arrangement involving sexual encounters, drugs and travel. They allege that the defendants financed trips to destinations including Miami, Las Vegas, New York City, the Florida Keys and the Bahamas, where women were expected to participate in sexual activity with men connected to the group.
One plaintiff alleges that she received more than $6,000 from Gaetz, while the other claims she received more than $4,000. The lawsuit describes numerous payments and contends that the defendants used promises of financial assistance to maintain control over the women.
Among the complaint's most serious allegations is Jane Doe 1's claim that she witnessed Gaetz engaging in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl during a gathering at Dorworth's home in July 2017. The girl, identified in the complaint as Victim A, is not one of the two women bringing the lawsuit.
The allegation echoes findings from a congressional investigation that helped derail Gaetz's political career nearly two years ago.
In December 2024, the bipartisan House Ethics Committee released a report concluding that substantial evidence existed that Gaetz had engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old, paid women for sex, used illegal drugs and committed other violations of House rules and state laws.
The committee's findings followed an extensive investigation involving witness testimony, financial records and other evidence. Investigators documented payments to women and described a pattern of conduct involving sexual activity, drug use and travel arrangements during Gaetz's tenure in Congress.
Importantly, the committee did not conclude that the available evidence established a violation of federal sex trafficking law. The U.S. Department of Justice had also previously investigated Gaetz and ultimately declined to bring criminal charges.
Those distinctions remain significant. The newly filed case is a civil lawsuit seeking monetary damages under federal anti-trafficking law, not a criminal prosecution, and its allegations have not been adjudicated by a court. Gaetz has consistently denied wrongdoing, including allegations involving a minor.
The lawsuit nevertheless represents a new legal challenge because the women are now seeking to pursue their claims directly in federal court, rather than relying on a congressional ethics investigation or a criminal prosecution initiated by federal authorities.
One of the other defendants, Greenberg, is already serving an 11-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to multiple crimes, including sex trafficking of a minor, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, stalking and conspiracy. His criminal conviction is separate from the allegations against Gaetz, who has not been convicted of any offense arising from the conduct described in the new complaint.
The plaintiffs' attorney, Spencer Kuvin, argues that the case concerns the exploitation of vulnerable young women by men who possessed significant financial resources and political influence.
The lawsuit portrays the alleged misconduct as an organized pattern rather than a series of isolated encounters, claiming that the defendants used money, travel opportunities and access to influential people to encourage continued participation.
Gaetz has forcefully rejected the new allegations and indicated that he intends to contest them in court.
"I look forward to taking the plaintiffs' depositions because much of the conduct alleged against me is false," Gaetz said in a statement provided to national news outlets.
"The lawsuit relies almost exclusively on a Congressional Committee report that didn't allow me to confront my accusers. Now I will finally have that chance."
His response took a more confrontational turn on social media.
Following the lawsuit's filing, Gaetz posted an image on X showing three women in swimsuits on a beach in the Bahamas, apparently attempting to cast doubt on the plaintiffs' allegations about a trip described in the complaint. In communications with reporters, Gaetz acknowledged that he was not certain whether the women pictured were actually the plaintiffs.
The post drew criticism because the women had filed their lawsuit anonymously, and the image potentially exposed the identity of at least one person associated with the allegations.
Gaetz's decision to publicize the photograph added another controversy to an already sensitive case, raising questions about how the former congressman intends to defend himself publicly while the litigation proceeds.
The new lawsuit arrives almost two years after Gaetz's political career underwent a dramatic and unexpected transformation.
A Republican congressman representing Florida's Panhandle since 2017, Gaetz rose to national prominence as one of Trump's most aggressive defenders and a leading figure in the House's hard-right faction. His combative political style made him a frequent presence on cable television and a central player in Republican infighting, including the 2023 removal of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
In November 2024, Trump nominated Gaetz to become U.S. Attorney General, placing him in line to lead the very federal law enforcement agency that had previously investigated allegations involving him.
Gaetz resigned from Congress shortly after the nomination, but his prospects rapidly deteriorated as scrutiny intensified over the House Ethics Committee investigation and allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use.
Within days, Gaetz withdrew from consideration, effectively ending his bid to become the nation's top law enforcement official. The ethics report was subsequently released in December 2024, ensuring that the allegations would remain a defining element of his public reputation.
Rather than returning to elected office, Gaetz pivoted to conservative media, accepting a position with San Diego-headquartered One America News Network.
Founded in 2013 by Robert Herring Sr., OAN established itself as a conservative alternative to major television news networks and became particularly prominent during Trump's first presidency. The network has drawn substantial criticism for promoting false claims about the 2020 presidential election and other disputed political narratives.
OAN also faced major distribution setbacks when DirecTV dropped the channel in 2022, significantly reducing its access to traditional television audiences. The network has continued operating through other distribution arrangements and streaming platforms while maintaining its San Diego headquarters.
The hiring of Gaetz brought a nationally recognized political personality to the network, giving him a new platform to comment on Washington politics despite his departure from Congress.
His television career has also created an unusual geographic contrast. Gaetz built his political identity representing deeply conservative Northwest Florida and supporting a political movement frequently critical of California's policies, yet one of the principal centers of his professional life is now located in coastal Southern California.
That contradiction has not been lost on San Diego residents.
In multiple Reddit discussions about Gaetz sightings, commenters have questioned why prominent conservative personalities who regularly criticize California nonetheless spend time working, vacationing or maintaining professional ties in the state.
Other commenters have focused less on politics and more on the surprise of discovering that OAN's national programming originates from a relatively unassuming building on Morena Boulevard.
The network's presence has also made its headquarters an occasional destination for critics and online personalities seeking to confront or satirize its programming and prominent employees.
None of those local encounters establishes anything about the allegations in the new lawsuit, which concern conduct alleged to have occurred years before Gaetz began working in San Diego. They do, however, demonstrate that his national notoriety has followed him into his local professional life.
The former congressman has also maintained connections to Florida public affairs despite leaving Congress. In 2026, he was appointed to the board of Triumph Gulf Coast, an organization overseeing the distribution of settlement funds connected to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
That appointment, combined with his television platform, suggests Gaetz has retained a public role even as allegations surrounding his conduct continue to generate legal and political scrutiny.
The latest lawsuit now places him in the position of defending allegations similar to those that contributed to the collapse of his nomination for attorney general, but this time in a federal courtroom where the plaintiffs are seeking civil damages.
For the women bringing the case, the proceedings offer an opportunity to pursue claims that did not result in criminal charges against Gaetz. For Gaetz, the lawsuit presents an opportunity to contest those accusations through the judicial process, including testimony and examination of witnesses.
The case may also revive broader questions about the accountability of powerful political figures, the treatment of young women who allege sexual exploitation, and the limits of congressional investigations when alleged misconduct becomes the subject of private litigation.
For San Diego, the connection is more immediate and somewhat surreal. The former congressman whose national political career imploded amid a highly publicized ethics investigation now works for a television network headquartered near a busy local shopping corridor, occasionally surfaces in neighborhood restaurants and fast-food establishments, and continues to generate intense reactions whenever residents report seeing him.
What began as an unusual career move for a disgraced Washington power player has become a recurring local curiosity, with San Diego serving as one of the principal backdrops for his attempt to remain relevant in conservative media.
Now, as two women seek to hold him civilly liable for alleged sex trafficking, the controversy that helped end his congressional career is once again threatening to overshadow his professional reinvention.
SanDiegoVille contacted Gaetz on October 16, 2026, requesting comment on the lawsuit, his response to the allegations, his social media posts concerning the plaintiffs and his current working and living arrangements in San Diego. A response had not been received as of publication. This article will be updated if Gaetz provides additional information or comment.
Originally published on October 16, 2026.
