Republican former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida is facing a lawsuit accusing him and others of sexually trafficking and abusing two women from 2017 to 2019.

The lawsuit, filed anonymously by a pair of women in Florida federal court and docketed Thursday, alleges that Gaetz and coconspirators coordinated to pay for travel, sex and illicit drugs for the victims. The suit deepens a public fight over allegations of impropriety for Gaetz, once one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent allies in Congress.

“The Defendants collectively used their public office, power, and wealth to prey on the economic vulnerability” of the pair, the complaint says.

The complaint alleges that Gaetz worked with fellow defendant Joel Greenberg to find and pay for access to women, and that Greenberg provided them with drugs. The complaint alleges that Gaetz paid both women thousands of dollars with messages such as “1x flight + xtra 4 u,” “Car deductible” and “Love you.”

Greenberg pleaded guilty to six federal charges in 2021, including sex trafficking of a minor.

The complaint alleges that Gaetz, Greenberg and others flew the two women to Venice Beach, Miami, Las Vegas, the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and New York City between 2017 and 2019. That travel took the women to “places they had never been and into rooms with men they would never otherwise have met, and every part of that access, from the flights to the hotel rooms, was paid for by men, including the Defendants, who expected sex in return.”

“At the time of this venture, Gaetz was a sitting member of Congress, holding himself out to be one of President Donald J. Trump’s closest confidants and most loyal supporters,” the complaint says.

Gaetz appeared to respond to the suit on social media Thursday, posting a screenshot that appeared to identify at least one of the women.

“Jane Doe Strikes Again! Two adult women sued me today alleging they were sex trafficked to the Bahamas. I’m shocked nobody responded to their repeated cries for help, posted to instagram,” Gaetz posted.

Gaetz did not respond to a request for comment. Representatives for the other defendants could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday.

Gaetz served nearly four terms in the House of Representatives after six years in the Florida state House.

After winning his reelection bid in November 2024, Trump announced Gaetz as his first choice for attorney general. Gaetz resigned from Congress but soon withdrew his name from consideration for the role.

In December of that year, the House Ethics Committee released a report on an investigation into Gaetz’s conduct, which found “substantial evidence” that Gaetz paid women for sex, had sex with a minor and used and possessed illegal drugs.