Rep. Matt Gaetz snorted cocaine with an escort, witnesses say
Megan Zalonka attended an after party in Gaetz's hotel room in October 2019
The Daily Beast reported that witnesses observed Rep. Matt Gaetz after a 2019 GOP fundraiser taking part in a cocaine-fueled after party with a paid escort.
Joel Greenberg, who has been labeled as Gaetz’s wingman, identified the escort as one of the more than 15 women Gaetz paid to solicit sex, according to a source familiar with the current investigation.
Megan Zalonka attended an after party in Gaetz’s hotel room in October 2019 after he attended the “Trump Defender Gala” fundraiser at the Westgate Lake Resort in Orlando. Zalonka also reportedly earned an estimated $7,000 to $17,500 from a “no-show” government job given to her by Gaetz, according to sources and government records.
Read More: Officials: Fentanyl overdoses spreading across Georgia
According to witnesses, when friends gathered at Gaetz’s hotel room for the after party, Zalonka was seen preparing lines of cocaine on the bathroom counter. She was also seen rolling a bill of cash and snorting cocaine with Gaetz.
“She was just one of the many pieces of arm candy he had,” a source told the outlet.
Gaetz denied the allegations and wrote off the hotel stay as a campaign expense, using money from his donors to pay for it. Federal investigations are examining whether the representative used campaign funds to pay for travel and hotel expenses for women, according to CNN.
Gaetz’s public relations firm, Logan Circle Group, released a statement, saying, “Congressman Gaetz won’t be commenting on whether he dated or didn’t date specific women. The privacy of women living private lives should be protected.”
Read More: As GOP restricts voting, Democrats move to expand access
The Daily Beast confirmed that Zalonka’s attorney said that she “is not speaking to any media outlet” and said that the accusations were not “accurate.”
Zalonka, an amateur fashion model and the director of communications for the American Medical Marijuana Physicians Association, received a total of $4,000 from Greenberg via Venmo starting in 2017. He labeled the various payments as “Stuff,” “Orher stuff,” and “Pool.”
In December 2017, while she was still in contact with Greenberg, Zalonka created her company, MZ Strategy Group LLC, according to emails between the two. The following month, she was given a county contract where Greenberg would agree to pay her $3,500 a month for “management of digital content” and “production of social media engagements.”
Richard N. Ojeda responded to the news on Twitter with the message, “So Matt Gaetz has been a big supporter of drug testing welfare recipients in order for them to receive benefits. He does know that snorting Coke off of a prostitutes butt is doing drugs too, Right???? Another ‘Do as I Say, not as I Do’ politician. He needs removed ASAP!”
Writer Erin Gloria Ryan tweeted, “Impossible for somebody as consistently obnoxious as Matt Gaetz to not be on cocaine.”
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!
More About:Politics