**Hacker Breaches Legal Files in Civil Lawsuit Linked to Former Rep. Matt Gaetz**

A hacker has reportedly accessed a confidential online document-sharing portal used by attorneys in a civil lawsuit related to a close associate of former Rep. Matt Gaetz, sources have revealed. The breach involved the extraction of sensitive materials, including unredacted witness depositions, from the secure document repository.

On Monday night, lawyers connected to the civil case were notified via email that an "unknown and unauthorized third party" had downloaded classified documents, as per an email obtained by ABC News. This civil lawsuit, though involving a close friend of Gaetz, does not directly include the former congressman as a defendant. However, Gaetz has been subpoenaed due to some allegations within the lawsuit that reference him.

The hack occurred on Sunday through a ShareFile link, which contained 24 exhibits pertinent to the case. The name "Altam Beezley" appeared as the entity that accessed the documents, a name widely believed to be a pseudonym. An investigation is actively underway to identify the perpetrator of the breach.

Among the compromised documents are unredacted depositions from a woman who testified to the House Ethics Committee, alleging that Gaetz engaged in sexual activities with her when she was 17 years old. Attorney Tim Jansen, representing one of the parties in the lawsuit, acknowledged the hack when speaking to ABC News and emphasized that his client does not authorize the release of these sensitive documents.

Despite requests from ABC News, Gaetz has not commented on the incident. Additionally, these hacked documents are not part of the ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation into Gaetz himself, although it is known that the committee has previously subpoenaed materials related to the case.

This incident highlights ongoing concerns about the security of sensitive legal files shared online, especially in high-profile cases involving public figures.