WASHINGTON — A Justice Department investigation into Representative Matt Gaetz and an indicted Florida politician is focusing on their involvement with a number of ladies who had been recruited on-line for intercourse and acquired money funds, in accordance to folks shut to the investigation and textual content messages and fee receipts reviewed by The New York Times.

Investigators consider Joel Greenberg, the previous tax collector in Seminole County, Fla., who was indicted final 12 months on a federal intercourse trafficking cost and different crimes, initially met the ladies by means of web sites that join individuals who go on dates in trade for presents, positive eating, journey and allowances, in accordance to three folks with data of the encounters. Mr. Greenberg launched the ladies to Mr. Gaetz, who additionally had intercourse with them, the folks mentioned.

One of the ladies who had intercourse with each males additionally agreed to have intercourse with an unidentified affiliate of theirs in Florida Republican politics, in accordance to an individual accustomed to the association. Mr. Greenberg had initially contacted her on-line and launched her to Mr. Gaetz, the particular person mentioned.

Mr. Gaetz denied ever paying a lady for intercourse.

The Justice Department inquiry is also examining whether or not Mr. Gaetz had intercourse with a 17-year-old woman and whether or not she acquired something of fabric worth, in accordance to 4 folks accustomed to the investigation. The intercourse trafficking depend towards Mr. Greenberg concerned the identical woman, in accordance to two folks briefed on the investigation.

The authorities have additionally investigated whether or not different males related to Mr. Gaetz and Mr. Greenberg had intercourse with the 17-year-old, two of the folks mentioned.

Mr. Gaetz, 38, was elected to Congress in 2016 and have become one among President Donald J. Trump’s most outspoken advocates.

The Times has reviewed receipts from Cash App, a cellular funds app, and Apple Pay that present funds from Mr. Gaetz and Mr. Greenberg to one of many ladies, and a fee from Mr. Greenberg to a second lady. The ladies informed their associates that the funds had been for intercourse with the 2 males, in accordance to two folks accustomed to the conversations.

In encounters throughout 2019 and 2020, Mr. Gaetz and Mr. Greenberg instructed the ladies to meet at sure occasions and locations, typically at lodges round Florida, and would inform them the amount of cash they had been prepared to pay, in accordance to the messages and interviews.

One particular person mentioned that the lads additionally paid in money, generally withdrawn from a lodge ATM.

Some of the women and men took ecstasy, an unlawful hallucinogenic drug, earlier than having intercourse, together with Mr. Gaetz, two folks accustomed to the encounters mentioned.

In some instances, Mr. Gaetz requested ladies to assist discover others who is perhaps fascinated about having intercourse with him and his associates, in accordance to two folks accustomed to these conversations. Should anybody inquire about their relationships, one particular person mentioned, Mr. Gaetz informed the ladies to say that he had paid for lodge rooms and dinners as a part of their dates.

The F.B.I. has questioned a number of ladies concerned within the encounters, together with as just lately as January, to set up particulars of their relationships with Mr. Gaetz and his associates, in accordance to textual content messages and two folks accustomed to the interviews.

No costs have been introduced towards Mr. Gaetz, and the extent of his legal publicity is unclear. Mr. Gaetz’s workplace issued a press release on Thursday night time in a response to a request for remark.

“Matt Gaetz has never paid for sex,” the assertion mentioned. “Matt Gaetz refutes all the disgusting allegations completely. Matt Gaetz has never ever been on any such websites whatsoever. Matt Gaetz cherishes the relationships in his past and looks forward to marrying the love of his life.”

A lawyer for Mr. Greenberg, Fritz Scheller, declined to remark, as did a Justice Department spokesman.

It just isn’t unlawful to present adults with free lodge stays, meals and different presents, but when prosecutors suppose they will show that the funds to the ladies had been for intercourse, they might accuse Mr. Gaetz of trafficking the ladies below “force, fraud or coercion.” For instance, prosecutors have filed trafficking costs towards folks suspected of offering medicine in trade for intercourse as a result of feeding one other particular person’s drug behavior may very well be seen as a type of coercion.

It can also be a violation of federal youngster intercourse trafficking legislation to present somebody below 18 with something of worth in trade for intercourse, which may embrace meals, lodges, medicine, alcohol or cigarettes. A conviction carries a 10-year obligatory minimal jail sentence.

The investigation stems from the Justice Department’s persevering with inquiry into Mr. Greenberg, who doubtlessly faces many years in jail on three dozen costs. The U.S. legal professional’s workplace in Central Florida initially secured an indictment towards Mr. Greenberg in June, alleging that he had stalked a political rival and had used his elected workplace to create pretend identification playing cards.

During the investigation, the authorities found proof that prompted them to broaden it, and Mr. Greenberg was indicted in August on the intercourse trafficking cost.

One of the websites the lads met ladies by means of was referred to as Seeking Arrangement, which describes itself as a spot the place rich folks discover enticing companions and pamper them “with fine dinners, exotic trips and allowances.” The website’s founder has mentioned it has 20 million members worldwide. The F.B.I. talked about the web site in a dialog with no less than one potential witness, in accordance to an individual accustomed to the dialog.

Mr. Greenberg was indicted this week on additional charges, accusing him of submitting false claims to obtain pandemic aid help from the federal government and making an attempt to bribe a authorities official. The authorities mentioned Mr. Greenberg undertook these efforts after he was initially indicted final summer time.

Mr. Greenberg, who has pleaded not responsible to the sooner costs, is scheduled to go on trial in June. He was despatched to jail in March for violating the phrases of his bail.

Mr. Gaetz mentioned this week that his legal professionals had been in contact with the Justice Department and that he was the topic, not the goal, of an investigation. Subjects of investigations are sometimes witnesses or individuals who may need info that might assist the federal government pursue its targets. But it is not uncommon for that designation to shift over the course of an investigation.

“I only know that it has to do with women,” Mr. Gaetz mentioned. “I have a suspicion that someone is trying to recategorize my generosity to ex-girlfriends as something more untoward.”

Mr. Gaetz, a lawyer, was first elected to the House representing the Florida Panhandle at age 34. The son of a former president of the Florida State Senate, Mr. Gaetz attended Florida State University and William & Mary Law School earlier than serving within the Florida State Legislature.

Mr. Gaetz has sought to divert consideration from the Justice Department investigation by claiming that he and his father had been the targets of an extortion plot by two males making an attempt to safe funding for a separate enterprise.

The males — Robert Kent, a former Air Force intelligence officer who runs a consulting enterprise, and Stephen Alford, an actual property developer who has been convicted of fraud — approached Mr. Gaetz’s father, Don Gaetz, about funding their efforts to find Robert A. Levinson, an American hostage held in Iran. They steered to Don Gaetz that Mr. Levinson’s profitable return might in some way be used to safe a pardon for Matt Gaetz if he had been charged with federal crimes, in accordance to a replica of their proposal offered to The Times.

Soon after, Don Gaetz employed a lawyer and contacted the F.B.I. Matt Gaetz mentioned his father wore a wire and taped a gathering and a phone dialog with Mr. Alford. An e mail trade between Don Gaetz’s lawyer and the Justice Department offered to The Times seems to affirm he was typically cooperating with the F.B.I. because it regarded into his claims.

Mr. Kent denied the Gaetzes’ assertions. He mentioned he had heard rumors that Matt Gaetz is perhaps below investigation and talked about them solely to sweeten his proposal. “I told him I’m not trying to extort, but if this were true, he might be interested in doing something good,” Mr. Kent mentioned in an interview.

Last 12 months, the Trump administration notified the family of Mr. Levinson, a former F.B.I. agent, that he had died whereas in captivity in Iran, the place he disappeared in 2007 whereas on an unauthorized mission for the C.I.A.

But some folks concerned with the Levinson case continued to consider that he may nonetheless be alive, together with Mr. Kent.

He was shocked when he heard that Matt Gaetz had sought to tie the Justice Department investigation to an extortion plot associated to the Levinson case.

“He threw Levinson and the entire Levinson family under the bus,” Mr. Kent mentioned. “I can’t imagine what these poor people have been through. This guy, to divert attention from himself, has raked up the attention to the family.”

Don Gaetz additionally taped a cellphone name and a gathering with David McGee, a Levinson household lawyer, the place they mentioned the rescue proposal. In an interview, Mr. McGee denied any involvement and steered Matt Gaetz was conflating the matter inappropriately along with his personal potential legal legal responsibility.

“He’s trying to distract attention from a pending tidal wave that is about to sink his ship,” Mr. McGee mentioned.

Adam Goldman, Nicholas Fandos and Barry Meier contributed reporting.