Lawyers involved in a civil lawsuit related to former Rep. Matt Gaetz have been alerted to unauthorized access of confidential documents, including a deposition with a woman who alleges she had a sexual encounter with Gaetz when she was 17 years old. The documents were stored on a secure online system, and unredacted copies were downloaded by an unknown party, as reported by sources familiar with the matter.
The lawyers have been questioned about whether they have informed law enforcement about this breach. The case has gained attention due to Gaetz's nomination as attorney general by Donald Trump, leading to his resignation from Congress.
Witnesses in the civil case have also provided depositions to the House ethics committee, including the woman involved in the alleged incident with Gaetz. The civil lawsuit was filed by a Gaetz associate who owns the Florida property where the purported encounter took place in 2017.
The ethics committee is scheduled to convene to discuss their final report on the matter. Gaetz has consistently denied the allegations, and the Justice Department concluded its investigation without pursuing criminal charges against him.
