Former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg is expected to share with investigators the identity of a woman who attended a GOP fundraiser with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) in 2019 as one of more than a dozen young women Gaetz paid for sex, the Daily Beast reported on Friday night.
The Daily Beast identified the woman as Megan Zalonka and described her as an amateur Instagram model. She accompanied Gaetz in 2019 to the “Trump Defender Gala” in Orlando, the outlet reported. She is allegedly one of more than 15 young women Gaetz paid for sex, a source familiar with the investigation told the Daily Beast.
Zalonka and Gaetz were also reportedly involved in a party after the event involving cocaine, two witnesses told the publication.
Two sources reportedly added that the pair had an ongoing financial relationship in exchange for sex. Gaetz has repeatedly denied all allegations of wrongdoing, including allegations that he paid women for sex.
According to the Daily Beast, he wrote off the stay at the hotel as a campaign expense.
The tale recounted to the Beast could be of interest to the Justice Department’s Public Integrity division, which is reportedly examining Gaetz’s interactions with young women, as well as a potential quid-pro-quo arrangement with cannabis industry players.
The development in the Gaetz probe comes as Greenberg is set to plead guilty to an array of charges at his hearing on Monday.
According to sources who spoke to the Daily Beast and government records the outlet said it reviewed, Greenberg’s own relationship with Zalonka led to her landing a taxpayer-funded no-show job that, according to the Beast, earned her an estimated $7,000 to $17,500.
Zalonka, who is also the communications director for the American Medical Marijuana Physicians Association, had allegedly received $4,000 on Venmo from Greenberg during Greenberg’s first year in office in 2017 — mostly in $500 installments, the Daily Beast said.
According to the publication, Greenberg eventually awarded Zalonka a county contract that stated it would pay her $3,500 a month for “management of digital content” and “production of social media engagements.” The Beast reviewed records that suggesting some of the payments were made before being flagged by auditors.
Four people familiar with Zalonka’s arrangement told the Daily Beast it was a “no-show” contract and that Zalonka never worked at the office. According to those sources it was unclear what service she provided.
If Greenberg finalizes a cooperation agreement, he could be turned into a government witness against Gaetz and others.
