Report: Gaetz friend will pay almost $1.9 million to county

Associated Press

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — A former Florida tax collector whose arrest last year triggered an investigation into Republican U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz has agreed to pay almost $1.9 million in restitution for public money that was misspent during his time in office. Seminole County’s attorney told commissioners Tuesday that he reached a tentative, verbal agreement with Joel Greenberg’s attorney. Since Greenberg was arrested in June 2020, county attorneys have sought to claw back hundreds of thousands of dollars that were either questionable or fraudulent spending. Greenberg is currently in jail awaiting sentencing after pleading pleading guilty last May to six federal crimes, including sex trafficking of a child.