New York, United States

Sensitive testimony from a lawsuit involving allegations of sexual misconduct tied to Matt Gaetz, US President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general, has reportedly been accessed by an unidentified individual, revealed Joel Leppard, a lawyer involved in the case.  

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The files include transcripts of sworn testimony from two women who alleged Gaetz paid them for sex, with one claiming to have been a minor at the time of a sexual encounter in 2017, reported Reuters.

While some reports initially characterised as a hack, the incident, as per the file sharing service involved in the case, actually stemmed from an improper sharing of the documents online. ShareFile, the file-sharing service used, said that they were improperly shared on the open internet, leaving them open to be downloaded by "anyone".   

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The identity of the individual who accessed the file and their motives remain unknown, and there is no indication the documents have been published.

Details of the breach  

Citing an unidentified source, The New York Times reported the documents include testimony from one woman claiming a sexual encounter with Gaetz as a minor and another who allegedly witnessed it. However, Leppard did not to confirm these specifics, but said he got to know about the breach through an email sent to lawyers involved in the case.  

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ShareFile maintained that their systems were not hacked. "This was not a breach or unauthorised access to any ShareFile system, but rather use of the product inconsistent with best security practices," it said.

Gaetz, who resigned from Congress shortly after Trump announced him as his pick for attorney general, is slated to lead the Justice Department, if confirmed by the Senate, which investigated allegations of sex trafficking for almost three years.

He has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Federal prosecutors reportedly concluded their sex trafficking probe without charges, though a separate House Ethics Committee investigation remains unresolved.

(With inputs from agencies)