A federal judge accepted a motion by former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg to file his sentencing under seal to discuss his continued cooperation into the federal investigation regarding Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.
Greenberg pleaded guilty to sex trafficking, identity theft, wire fraud, and conspiracy in May 2021.
Greenberg's arrest led to a probe of Gaetz, who is accused of paying a 17-year-old girl for sex. Gaetz has denied those allegations.
Greenberg's sentencing has been pushed back on multiple occasions as he continues to cooperate with federal investigators. He hopes to mitigate the penalties he faces with his cooperation.
By the judge approving Greenberg's motion, it will cause some judicial records involving his cooperation to become confidential.
Courts will determine whether some records will be kept confidential based on whether the information concerns public officials or public concerns.
A court filing claims, "Greenberg’s forthcoming motion to set a sentencing date contains sensitive information pertaining to confidential and protected information concerning ongoing investigations and prosecutions."
The court also claimed in the filing that Greenberg's cooperation involves the investigation of "multiple individuals."
The court claims the interest of Greenberg's cooperation with investigators outweighs public interest. For that reason, a federal judge accepted Greenberg's motion to set the date of his sentencing hearing under seal.