Glenn Greenwald defends Matt Gaetz's right to have sex with 'consenting' 17-year-old girl

[JohnSJ]

Libertarian journalist Glenn Greenwald, a frequent Fox News guest, this week said that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has the right to have sex with a "consenting" 17-year-old girl.

Greenwald made the remarks on Twitter although Gaetz has denied that he had sex with a 17-year-old girl. Gaetz has also said that he is innocent of sex trafficking allegations.

"All or some of these accusations against Rep. Gaetz very well may be true and, one day — perhaps imminently — there will be ample publicly available evidence demonstrating this," Greenwald wrote on Twitter. "But that day has not yet arrived. That should matter for how the case is discussed."

He went on to note that the age of consent is 16 or 17 in 37 states, although it's illegal for a 38-year-old man to have sex with a 17-year-old girl in Florida.


https://www.rawstory.com/glenn-greenwald-matt-gaetz/

[jimfields33]

1. I do think a standard for all states is needed

It is weird to think you can have sex in DC but not Florida.

[agingdem]

3. Excuse me but that's not the point...

consent or no consent sex with a 17 year old is still statutory rape...

[cinematicdiversions]

6. I think what he is saying is whether it is statuary rape or not depends on your state.

Nothing to do with consent.

[qazplm135]

13. It does need standardized

Another quirk is that you can have sex with someone legally in some states at 16 or 17, but if you take pics, it's federal child porn.

Make it all 18 is the easiest solution.

[JohnSJ]

9. In addition, we are talking about sex trafficking, and the use of drugs to facilitate that, along

with other issues.

Is it any surprise that he was the only Congress person to vote against anti-sex trafficking legislation?

[jimfields33]

15. In Florida that is true.

[agingdem]

16. I can hear that slimy moronic Gaetz's defense now...

Judge... I may have "allegedly" picked her up in Florida but I waited until I crossed into Georgia to exchange body fluids...

[jimfields33]

17. I am glad they have a ton of other charges to get him on.

[Celerity]

21. No it is not, you are legally incorrect depending in the state.

If the age of consent is 17 and there are no 'close age' add-ons, then a 17 year old having consensual, non prostituted sex with anyone 17 and older, be they 18, 28, 38, 48, 58, ect., is not statutory rape.

In common law jurisdictions, statutory rape is nonforcible sexual activity in which one of the individuals is below the age of consent (the age required to legally consent to the behavior).

[gratuitous]

20. Here's a universally applicable standard

38 year olds shouldn't be hitting on 17 year olds.

[hlthe2b]

2. Someone here asked why Greenwald was held in such disdain now, when a decade or more ago, he was

considered in a much more favorable, even progressive light.

Well, this isn't the reason, but it is a GOOD one. What a creep.

[agingdem]

5. why the hell is that ass Greenwald defending Gaetz at all?...

what's in it for him?...is he trying to justify something similar in his own life?..a guy in his 30s having sex with a 17 year old is not like two horny teenagers in the back of dad's van...

[dsc]

4. He is being highly misleading as pointed out in the article

he conflates states which permit a Romeo and Juliet exception with states that outright have a 16 year old age of consent. But in any case, assuming this is true, Mr. Gaetz broke the law and ignorance of said law would be no excuse. I tend to think 18 is a more reasonable age of consent in terms of wide age gaps than 16. But even if I didn't think that, what matters is what Florida thinks.

[JohnSJ]

11. and he is an elected representative in Florida. Greenwald is also following the typical republican

playbook of distraction, and ignoring the questions of sex trafficking, and using drugs to facilitate that

[PortTack]

7. Defending the qgop....maybe he'll come up with a defense for the other crimes he's charged with

[LonePirate]

8. The press and everyone else (including me) needs to ignore everything Greenwald says.

Just like with the former guy, stop giving him oxygen to spread his nonsense.

[getagrip_already]

10. what a putz... gaetz won't be charged with statutory rape.....

He will be charged with pandering, transporting a minor across state/international lines for prostitution, and sex trafficking. He may also be charged with election tampering and election funds violations (if he expensed any of his shenanigans as campaign expenses, that's a felony).

Sex is not considered consensual if you paid for it. It has nothing to do with the age of consent. That his targets were minors is major disgusting to boot.

But I doubt they will hit him with statutory rape, though they could.

[JohnSJ]

12. +++

[crickets]

23. Agreed, it's the paying for it and crossing state lines that ultimately will do him in.

Election funds violations also are likely. I dearly wish statutory rape charges would stick as well. What a scum.

[MineralMan]

14. For a grown man to have sex with a minor girl less than half his age

is simply wrong. That is simply a fact.

I stress the word "minor" here. Regardless of the legal age of consent, it is simply inappropriate and predatory.

There is a huge difference between a 21-year-old having sex with a 17-year-old and a 38-year-old doing the same.

Matt Gaetz is an obvious sexual predator. The 21-year-old is not necessarily a sexual predator.

Once both parties are no longer minors, all bets are off, really. In Florida and in Federal law, the age of majority is 18.

Leave the kids alone, Gaetz, you felonious, predatory creep!

[TheBlackAdder]

18. Age of Consent in Brazil is 14. If 12-13, a 5-year age gap applies. So a 54-yo man can fuck a 14-yo.

.

Libertarians are all about THEIR rights. Me, Me, ME!

So we know that Greenwald thinks it's OK for old men to have sex with teens if Age of Consent allows it.

.

[stonecutter357]

19. Glenn Greenwald is a sick basterd !

[True Dough]

22. I think this says it best