Matt Gaetz sexual misconduct allegations
In March 2021, reports surfaced of a federal investigation into Matt Gaetz, an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 1st congressional district, involving claims he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl in 2019. Gaetz denied any wrongdoing, asserting he and his family were "victims of an organized criminal extortion involving a former DOJ official seeking $25 million." McGee interviewed with that day and publicly denied any involvement. On March 31, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said that Gaetz will lose his congressional committee assignments if the charges are proven, but will remain on the House Judiciary Committee during the investigation.
Investigation
The Justice Department's investigation into the allegations against Gaetz has been underway since 2020. The investigation is said to be part of a "broader investigation" into Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg who was indicted in 2020 for defamation but whose case as of March 30, 2021 had expanded into an array of charges including sex trafficking. Gaetz is said to have come into the picture because of an unusual after office hours visit to a government office with Greenberg where Greenberg was allegedly producing fake IDs. As of March 30, 2021 no charges have been officially brought against Gaetz. In an interview with Tucker Carlson responding to the allegations, he stated that "I am demanding the Department of Justice and FBI release the audio recordings that were made under their supervision and at their direction which will prove my innocence", referring to an audio recording between his father and McGee. He furthered that the claims of an underage sexual relationship could be proven false by travel records. McGee told The Daily Beast that the reports of extortion were "completely, totally false," and that they were to distract from his investigation into whether he violated sex trafficking laws. The U.S. government believes Levinson died in Iran by 2020. On April 2, Gaetz' communication director resigned.
Reactions
Roger Stone has defended Gaetz claiming that he was targeted in a smear campaign. Supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory have also defended Gaetz.
Investigation
The Justice Department's investigation into the allegations against Gaetz has been underway since 2020. The investigation is said to be part of a "broader investigation" into Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg who was indicted in 2020 for defamation but whose case as of March 30, 2021 had expanded into an array of charges including sex trafficking. Gaetz is said to have come into the picture because of an unusual after office hours visit to a government office with Greenberg where Greenberg was allegedly producing fake IDs. As of March 30, 2021 no charges have been officially brought against Gaetz. In an interview with Tucker Carlson responding to the allegations, he stated that "I am demanding the Department of Justice and FBI release the audio recordings that were made under their supervision and at their direction which will prove my innocence", referring to an audio recording between his father and McGee. He furthered that the claims of an underage sexual relationship could be proven false by travel records. McGee told The Daily Beast that the reports of extortion were "completely, totally false," and that they were to distract from his investigation into whether he violated sex trafficking laws. The U.S. government believes Levinson died in Iran by 2020. On April 2, Gaetz' communication director resigned.
Reactions
Roger Stone has defended Gaetz claiming that he was targeted in a smear campaign. Supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory have also defended Gaetz.
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