While serving in the Florida state legislature Matt Gaetz was the chief opponent of a bill meant to stop people from sharing sexually explicit images of their ex-lovers because he believes that if someone sends an intimate image to their romantic partner, then that image becomes the partner’s property to use however they want, the bill’s sponsor told Orlando Sentinel.
Former Florida state Rep. Tom Goodson (R), sponsored the legislation meant to outlaw nonconsensual porn. But, he said that Gaetz repeatedly tried to block his bill because he believed people who received sexual images can do with them what they see fit.
“Matt was absolutely against it. He thought the picture was his to do with what he wanted,” Goodson said. “He thought that any picture was his to use as he wanted to, as an expression of his rights.”
Gaetz is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice for alleged sex trafficking of a minor and prostitution.
The investigation into Gaetz is a part of a broader probe into former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg who was indicted last year on a federal sex trafficking charge.
According to the Washington Post, Gaetz bragged to people in Florida about women he met through Greenberg. Sources also told the Post that Gaetz had shown them videos on his phone of nude on multiple occasions.
CNN reported last week that Gaetz showed other colleagues in the House photos and videos of nude women that he said he had sex with — including while on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.
