Florida has launched a legal investigation into British-American influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate, who flew to the state final week from Romania, the place they confronted rape and human-trafficking costs.
Florida’s legal professional basic, James Uthmeier, mentioned investigators have issued search warrants and subpoenas as a part of a “now-active” inquiry.
Within the US, the brothers additionally face a civil go well with from a girl alleging they coerced her into intercourse work, after which defamed her after she gave proof to Romanian authorities. They strongly deny all of the allegations in opposition to them.
A former kickboxer and self-described misogynist who appeared on UK TV present Huge Brother, Andrew Tate has tens of millions of followers on-line.
Andrew, 38, and his brother Tristan, 36, face separate costs within the UK of rape and human trafficking. They deny these allegations too.
Uthmeier, a Republican, mentioned in Tuesday’s assertion: “Final week, I directed my workplace to work with our regulation enforcement companions to conduct a preliminary inquiry into Andrew and Tristan Tate.
“Based mostly on a radical evaluate of the proof, I’ve directed the Workplace of Statewide Prosecution to execute search warrants and situation subpoenas within the now-active legal investigation into the Tate brothers.”
The Tate brothers’ lawyer Joseph McBride launched an announcement later Tuesday on the investigation.
“Right now, Lawyer Normal James Uthmeier threw ethics regulation out of the window when he publicly took a aspect in an ongoing Florida lawsuit the place Andrew and Tristan Tate are suing a Florida lady for orchestrating a classy plot to make use of intercourse as a weapon to damage their lives,” the assertion learn partially.
Mr McBride referred to as the legal professional basic’s feedback “inflammatory” and “biased”.
The Tates have been first arrested in Romania in December 2022, with Andrew accused of rape and human trafficking and Tristan suspected of human trafficking. They moved to Romania from the UK a number of years in the past.
They each denied the fees and spent a number of months below home arrest. A yr later, in August 2024, they confronted new allegations together with intercourse with a minor and trafficking underage individuals, all of which they deny.
The Tates are understood to be required to return to Bucharest on the finish of March to fulfill prosecutors’ phrases; nonetheless, it’s too early to say whether or not they’ll comply.
Police within the English county of Bedfordshire are nonetheless in search of Andrew’s extradition on separate and unrelated allegations of rape and human trafficking, in addition to tax evasion.
Within the UK, 4 British girls have filed a civil case in opposition to Andrew Tate within the nation’s Excessive Court docket, alleging he raped and coercively managed them, costs additionally they deny.
These plaintiffs mentioned it was clear he wouldn’t face legal prosecution in Romania and appealed to UK authorities to take motion.
