On Tuesday, Jones tweeted that three separate sources indicate that Joel Valdez, who serves as the press secretary for Matt Gaetz, is rumored to be engaged in a romantic relationship with him.
This is not the first time Gaetz has had an affair, nor is it the first time his wife has responded to such requests.
The tweet garnered significant attention, accumulating over 8,000 retweets to reach a wide audience of social media users.
After their private debate, she claimed that she had observed a moment of intimacy between them. Another Twitter user asked her to provide more concrete information.
She later stated that she “had two camera crews recording me” at that moment, but did not present any visual proof.
Jones refused to disclose her “unidentified sources” to Newsweek, who asserted that they are employed in Gaetz’s office and are concerned about the security of their positions.
“It is important to note that individuals who are mentally unstable, politically defeated, indicted, or fired should not be considered as credible sources when evaluating Mrs. Jones’ defamatory statements. In response to the allegations, Representative Gaetz vehemently denied them and sent a statement to Newsweek.”
We hope that Mrs. Jones, after completing the court-ordered community service and paying restitution for the crimes she committed, will take responsibility and make positive changes in her life.
“Any suggestion that Congressman Matt Gaetz has been initiating relationships with staff is completely untrue and defamatory.”
Gaetz defeated Jones in November to secure re-election as House Representative for Florida’s 1st Congressional district, getting 68 percent of the vote.
Gaetz, who was appointed as the House Speaker, was one of the Republican insurgents who attempted to prevent Kevin McCarthy earlier in January, arguing that he lacked sufficient conservatism.
McCarthy was eventually elected after making a number of concessions to his critics in the longest contested role since 1859, receiving 15 ballots.
A video of McCarthy challenging Gaetz on the House floor became extremely popular on the internet, garnering over 1.6 million views.
Who Is Rebekah Jones?
During her tenure as an analyst at the Florida Department of Health in 2020, Jones found herself at odds with her superiors and the administration of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in relation to the presentation of coronavirus data, which thrust her into the spotlight.
In May 2022, the complaint she filed for wrongful termination against other officials, who described her allegations as “unfounded” or “unsubstantiated,” was rejected by the General Inspector of the Office of Florida.
In December 2020, authorities conducted a search of Jones’ residence and seized voting equipment after developing a suspicion that she had unlawfully gained access to the Florida Department of Health’s computer system. Following this, she was apprehended in January 2021 due to her alleged involvement in sending internal messages and unauthorized system access.
Jones has agreed to a deferred prosecution agreement on December 8, 2022, wherein she will regularly meet with a mental health professional, engage in community service, accept responsibility for the charges, and pay $20,000 for investigation expenses at least once every month.
Who Is Joel Valdez?
Valdez, who studied at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has been Gaetz’s communications director since April 2021, according to his LinkedIn profile.
In March of the following year, he became a press assistant for his team after beginning his internship in Gaetz’s congressional office in January 2020.
In February and March 2020 Valdez served as a “War Room Analyst” during Donald Trump’s presidential election campaign based “at campaign headquarters.”.
When asked for a comment, Valdez redirected Newsweek to a spokesperson for Gaetz’s congressional office.
Originally mentioned as initially mentioned, Valdez did not complete his studies at the University of Illinois. However, Valdez pursued his education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Please note this correction made on 01/27/23 at 3:25 a.M. ET: This story has been rectified.