Rep. Matt Gaetz Sex Trafficking Update: Communications Director Resigns

A longtime aide communications director and spokesperson for Rep. Matt Gaetz has resigned unexpectedly while the Florida Republican is under an active investigation of the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl.

Luke Ball had been actively helping Gaetz build a defense against the Justice Department after the representative believed these allegations stemmed from an alleged extortion attempt against him and his family, which made the announcement of his departure surprising.

“The Office of Congressman Matt Gaetz and Luke Ball have agreed that it would be best to part ways,” the office said in a statement that was relayed by Mr. Gaetz’s chief of staff. “We thank him for his time in our office, and we wish him the best moving forward.”

A reason for this departure hasn’t been announced, but an anonymous source stated that this was the best decision to make under these circumstances, the New York Times reported.

The 38-year-old has explained numerous times over the past week that he’s innocent, has never had any sexual relations with a 17-year-old girl and has never paid for her to cross state lines to act in these said sexual relations. He also claimed that the DOJ is trying to diminish his “legal liability” by creating these serious allegations.

"Over the past several weeks my family and I have been victims of an organized criminal extortion involving a former DOJ official seeking $25 million while threatening to smear my name. We have been cooperating with federal authorities in this matter and my father has even been wearing a wire at the FBI's direction to catch these criminals," Gaetz said in a statement.

He has also stated that he won’t be resigning and that he’s planning on fighting this until the end.