![]() For eight years, we traveled the country, shared holidays together … Fran may be leaving the office, but he will always be a part of our family.”įran left the staff of Joe Biden and went to work with Chinese figures. Person wrote Hunter that Chinese businessman Bo Zhang “will help you with what you need.”įran Person was not just a close aide to Joe Biden for years, but someone that the First Lady Jill Biden described as a member of the family: “Fran has been like a son to Joe and me. Messages from longtime Biden associate Fran Person show the Chinese stepping in to support Hunter’s lavish lifestyle as funds dried up during his divorce. This story has been updated with additional details Wednesday.After the initiation of the Biden impeachment inquiry, new messages are deepening concerns over the influence of Chinese figures on the Biden family. Greenberg was sentenced to 11 years in prison in December. The most obvious indicator was that prosecutors finally agreed to schedule a sentencing date for Greenberg after months of delays while he continued to cooperate with the ongoing Gaetz probe. ![]() Then, by late 2022, there were several signs that the Justice Department’s case had nearly ground to a halt. Two other people in Gaetz’s orbit also became key cooperators, including the ex-girlfriend who worked on Capitol Hill and has been linked to Gaetz as far back as the summer of 2017, and a Florida radio host who began cooperating after pleading guilty in a separate bribery scheme. Pirozzolo requests that he and his family’s privacy be respected as the last few years have been extremely difficult to endure.” In a statement, his attorney, David Haas, said, “Today we were informed by the Department of Justice that it is ending its investigation… Dr. Pirozzolo was pushed out of his medical practice after his name surfaced in some reports about the investigation. Jason Pirozzolo, who accompanied Gaetz on a 2018 trip to the Bahamas that was a key focus of investigators. The investigation also scrutinized several Gaetz associates including Dr. Greenberg’s cooperation led investigators to look at Gaetz, along with other allies of Greenberg, for any alleged sex trafficking or obstruction of justice. The investigation into Gaetz began in late 2020 under then-Attorney General Bill Barr, but ramped up significantly after Gaetz’s close friend, Joel Greenberg, pleaded guilty to six federal crimes, including a sex-trafficking charge, and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Prosecutors working on the case recommended against charging Gaetz in September, in part, because of questions over whether central witnesses in the investigation would be perceived as credible before a jury, CNN reported at the time.īut the final decision not to move forward with charges came from senior department officials. Olivier Douliery/Pool/APĭOJ prosecutors recommend against charging Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) speaks during a committee hearing on September 29, 2021. Gaetz has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. The DOJ’s formal decision not to charge Gaetz, who has been serving in Congress since 2017, marks the end of a long-running investigation into allegations that the congressman violated federal law by paying for sex, including with women who were younger than 18 years old. The congressman’s office said in a separate statement that the department informed them the investigation has ended and no charges will be brought. The ex-girlfriend was a key witness in the case and had testified before the grand jury in Orlando last year. Tim Jansen, a high-powered lawyer representing the congressman’s ex-girlfriend, said that DOJ officials reached out to him Wednesday and told him they would not be charging Gaetz. ![]() “We have just spoken with the DOJ and have been informed that they have concluded their investigation into Congressman Gaetz and allegations related to sex trafficking and obstruction of justice and they have determined not to bring any charges against him,” Gaetz’s lawyers, Marc Mukasey and Isabelle Kirshner, said in a statement. The final decision was made by Department of Justice leadership after investigators recommended against charges last year. ![]() Senior officials reached out to lawyers for multiple witnesses on Wednesday, a source familiar with the matter told CNN, to inform them of the decision not to prosecute Gaetz. Matt Gaetz and multiple witnesses that it will not bring charges against the Florida Republican after a yearslong federal sex-trafficking investigation. The Justice Department has informed lawyers for Rep.
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