Thread by @arapaho415

@clearing_fog @TeresaCCarter2 @YDanasmithdutra @Ginger624 @CatsChocolates Joel Greenberg plea deal deadline May 15, 2021:
1/ Joel "Greenberg had been scheduled to go on trial in June, but both sides set a May 15 deadline for a plea deal. If they do not reach an agreement, the case would go to trial, they agreed."
Apr 8, 2021:

https://twitter.com/marknyt/status/1380216878447071246

@clearing_fog @TeresaCCarter2 @YDanasmithdutra @Ginger624 @CatsChocolates 2/ At a 6-minute status hearing at the federal courthouse in Orlando today:
Prosecutor Roger Handberg: “We believe this case is going to be a plea.”
Greenberg lawyer Fritz Scheller: “I expect this case to be resolved with a plea deal.” h/t @Agenthades1

https://twitter.com/lrozen/status/1380217253782818818

@clearing_fog @TeresaCCarter2 @YDanasmithdutra @Ginger624 @CatsChocolates @Agenthades1 3/ "A plea by...Joel Greenberg, could significantly strengthen the Justice Dept’s hand as it investigates Mr. Gaetz 👉and others👈 who met Mr. Greenberg through 👉Florida Republican politics👈 and are being scrutinized on potential sex trafficking violations." (more...)

@clearing_fog @TeresaCCarter2 @YDanasmithdutra @Ginger624 @CatsChocolates @Agenthades1 4/ "Mr Greenberg, who has known Mr Gaetz since at least 2017 when he began serving in Congress, 👉could provide prosecutors w/a witness👈 who has a deep knowledge of Mr Gaetz’s dealings w/women, can explain
▸how the men paid the women and
▸how the 2 men bought & used drugs...

@clearing_fog @TeresaCCarter2 @YDanasmithdutra @Ginger624 @CatsChocolates @Agenthades1 5/ ...like ecstasy."
Apr 8, 2021: h/t @Agenthades1
"[T]he teenager had only turned 18 less than 6 months before. When Greenberg then made his Venmo payments to these 3 young women, he described the money as being for 'Tuition,' 'School,' and 'School.''🤬

https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1380307035619696640

@clearing_fog @TeresaCCarter2 @YDanasmithdutra @Ginger624 @CatsChocolates @Agenthades1 6/ "Gaetz and Greenberg are both connected through Venmo to this then-18-year-old woman—who now works in the porn industry*, according to a friend of the girl." *GOPfamilyValues🙄 (more...)
The Daily Beast article behind paywall, here is archived version:
archive.is/LNXVP#selectio…

@clearing_fog @TeresaCCarter2 @YDanasmithdutra @Ginger624 @CatsChocolates @Agenthades1 7/ "[O]n Thursday, Greenberg’s attorney and prosecutors indicated during a court hearing that they expect Greenberg to strike a plea deal⤴️, likely meaning he plans to cooperate with investigators.
That could be potentially disastrous for Gaetz... (con't)

@clearing_fog @TeresaCCarter2 @YDanasmithdutra @Ginger624 @CatsChocolates @Agenthades1 8/ ...as investigators look into the connections between these two men. And one particularly damning connection is their financial transactions. This week, during the reporting of this story, Gaetz’s once-public list of Venmo transactions disappeared. (con't)

@clearing_fog @TeresaCCarter2 @YDanasmithdutra @Ginger624 @CatsChocolates @Agenthades1 9/ ...Greenberg’s Venmo account is not currently publicly accessible. But The Daily Beast was able to obtain partial records of Greenberg’s past online transactions through a source. Greenberg and Gaetz are also connected on Venmo to at least one other woman... (con't)

@clearing_fog @TeresaCCarter2 @YDanasmithdutra @Ginger624 @CatsChocolates @Agenthades1 10/ ...that 👉Greenberg paid w/taxpayer funds using a gov't-issued credit card👈. Seminole County auditors flagged hundreds of those payments as 'questioned or unaccounted for,' and in total found more than $300,000 in suspicious or unjustified expenses. (con't)

@clearing_fog @TeresaCCarter2 @YDanasmithdutra @Ginger624 @CatsChocolates @Agenthades1 11/ ...The Daily Beast was able to obtain that credit card data through a public records request. 'No one has any idea what he was doing. Zero,' said Daniel J. O'Keefe, an accountant who conducted a forensic audit for the county. 'The arrogance of these guys. (con't)

@clearing_fog @TeresaCCarter2 @YDanasmithdutra @Ginger624 @CatsChocolates @Agenthades1 12/ ...They just felt they were above the law. I've never seen it this bad.' O’Keefe was particularly puzzled by weekend expenses, hotels, unspecified high-dollar 'consulting' fees, and cash advances that Greenberg made to himself and others." (more...)

@clearing_fog @TeresaCCarter2 @YDanasmithdutra @Ginger624 @CatsChocolates @Agenthades1 13/ "In 2018, Greenberg paid one of those women several thousand dollars using his taxpayer-backed Seminole County-issued Wells Fargo Visa card, according to county financial records obtained by The Daily Beast. Auditors flagged the transactions, saying that... (con't)

@clearing_fog @TeresaCCarter2 @YDanasmithdutra @Ginger624 @CatsChocolates @Agenthades1 14/ ...despite having a contract and invoice from the company, they “do not know what it was for.'”
Article concludes with this⤵️ statement by Greenberg's defense attorney Fritz Scheller: h/t @clearing_fog /end

https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1380223663635623938