Matt Gaetz

[SPHASH]

ROTFLMAO.  Couldn't have happened to a better guy.  And he made it even worse for himself on Tucker Carlson tonight.

 

[Howl]

Heh, I knew somebody would be on top of this particular Florida Guy story. Numerous people on Twitter are pointing out that Matt Gaetz doesn't seem to realize that he has the right to remain silent. 

Gaetz is touting some crazy "my father was wearing a wire to catch some bad guys who are trying to frame me" line which is either a blatant lie or he has now tanked a sting operation AND endangered his father's life. 

This investigation got started (and was not squelched) under the Barr DoJ.  Not lookin' good for Matty G. 

Also, yesterday something floated up about Gaetz possibly resigning his seat to take a job at OAN NewsMax.  Coincidence?

And then there's the Joel Greenberg angle. 

Hot DAMN is this going to be good. 

Edited March 31, 2021 by Howl

[GreyhoundFan]

[47of74]

2 hours ago, Howl said:

Heh, I knew somebody would be on top of this particular Florida Guy story. Numerous people on Twitter are pointing out that Matt Gaetz doesn't seem to realize that he has the right to remain silent. 

Gaetz is touting some crazy "my father was wearing a wire to catch some bad guys who are trying to frame me" line which is either a blatant lie or he has now tanked a sting operation AND endangered his father's life. 

This investigation got started (and was not squelched) under the Barr DoJ.  Not lookin' good for Matty G. 

Also, yesterday something floated up about Gaetz possibly resigning his seat to take a job at OAN NewsMax.  Coincidence?

And then there's the Joel Greenberg angle. 

Hot DAMN is this going to be good. 

Yeah I saw that story about Matty talking about not running in 2022 and leaving  Congress for NewsMax yesterday.  That was before I learned about him and the 17 year old.  At first I thought the whole thing about him leaving was because the job wasn't fun for Matty anymore since fuck face wasn't in office anymore.  While I'm sure that's part of the reason I also now think that he wanted to high tail it since he figures that once he's out of office the heat will be off. 

[fraurosena]

If Tucker and Kevin McCarthy are already distancing themselves from Gaetz, the chances of the allegations of sex-traficking and maybe even child pornography -- which Gaetz stupidly brought up himself   -- actually being true are pretty high.

Matt Gaetz’s disastrous Tucker Carlson interview, explained

(the article has multiple embedded tweets which I didn't include in the quote)

Quote

Hours after the New York Times broke the news that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is under federal investigation for alleged sex trafficking, he was given a platform by Fox News host Tucker Carlson to tell his side of the story. But Gaetz ended up botching the softball interview so thoroughly that Carlson ended up telling his millions of viewers it was “one of the weirdest interviews I’ve ever conducted.”

At various points during the interview, Gaetz — who denies the allegations — volunteered the existence of criminal allegations against him that aren’t yet part of the public record, brought up sexual misconduct allegations against Carlson that most of his viewers probably weren’t aware of, and went out of his way to involve Carlson in stories about his personal life.

“I can say that actually you and I went to dinner about two years ago, your wife was there, and I brought a friend of mine — you’ll remember her — and she was actually threatened by the FBI, told that if she wouldn’t cop to the fact that somehow I was involved in some pay-for-play scheme, that could face trouble,” Gaetz said. “So I do believe there are people at the Department of Justice that are trying to smear me. Providing for flights and hotel rooms for people that you’re dating who are of legal age is not a crime.”

“I don’t remember the woman you’re speaking of or the context at all, honestly,” Carlson replied.

That exchange came shortly after Gaetz told Carlson that “I’m not the only person on screen right now who has been falsely accused of a terrible sex act. You were accused of something you did not do.”

“You just referred to a mentally ill viewer who accused me of a sex crime 20 years ago, and of course it was not true. I had never met the person,” Carlson replied. “But I do agree with you that being accused falsely is one of the worst things that can happen, and you do see it a lot.”

Carlson was falsely accused of molesting a woman about 20 years ago, but was also accused of sexually harassing a guest on his show in a lawsuit filed last year. (Fox News has denied the allegations against Carlson and other hosts contained in the lawsuit.)

Following a commercial break, Carlson seemed to throw Gaetz under the bus, saying the interview was “one of the weirdest interviews I’ve ever conducted” and adding, “I don’t think that clarified much ... I don’t quite understand it.”

But more importantly than the bizarreness of the interview is the fact that Gaetz didn’t do a very convincing job trying to refute the very serious criminal allegations underpinning the federal investigation. His defense basically amounts to claims that he’s the victim of a vast conspiracy.

Gaetz is implausibly alleging officials in Bill Barr’s Department of Justice conspired to take him down

According to the Times, Gaetz is under investigation “over whether he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paid for her to travel with him, according to three people briefed on the matter.” (It’s unclear whether the person that Gaetz said had dinner with Carlson and his wife is the person referenced in the Times story.)

The Times report adds that it is “not clear how Mr. Gaetz met the girl, believed to be 17 at the time of encounters about two years ago that investigators are scrutinizing.”

During the interview with Carlson, Gaetz denied improper conduct, but he did so in a very limited and specific way, using language that raised more questions than it answered.

“The New York Times is running a story that I have traveled with a 17-year-old woman, and that is verifiably false; people can look at my travel records and see that that is not the case,” Gaetz said — even though a 17-year-old is not a “woman,” the allegations go beyond mere “traveling,” and it’s unclear how “travel records” could disprove any of them.

Gaetz went on to allege that word of the investigation was leaked as part of an extortion plot, saying “what is happening is an extortion of me and my family involving a former Department of Justice official” who demanded $25 million in exchange for making the sex trafficking allegations go away.

But during an MSNBC interview a short time later, one of the Times reporters bylined on the Gaetz story, Katie Benner, debunked one of Gaetz’s central claims, saying unequivocally that the former official Gaetz accused by name of being part of an extortion plot isn’t even involved in the investigation.

That former DOJ official, David McGee, later told the Daily Beast that Gaetz’s claims are false and are “a blatant attempt to distract from the fact that Matt Gaetz is apparently about to be indicted for sex trafficking underage girls.”

Gaetz seems to be throwing defenses against the wall in hopes that something will stick. He concluded the interview with Carlson by suggesting the investigation is politically motivated, saying “I’m a well-known, outspoken conservative, and I guess that’s out of style in a lot of parts of the country right now.”

But the Times reports that the investigation “was opened in the final months of the Trump administration under Attorney General William P. Barr” — a chronology undercutting Gaetz’s suggestion that his political opponents are out to get him.

File this whole bizarre episode under “things defense attorneys wouldn’t advise”

Gaetz’s interview with Carlson came shortly after he initially responded to news of the investigation in a string of tweets, claiming he’s the victim of an extortion plot and that “my father has even been wearing a wire at the FBI’s direction to catch these criminals. The planted leak to the FBI tonight was intended to thwart that investigation.”

Gaetz has yet to provide any evidence to back up these claims, and instead posted retweets trying to discredit the New York Times and Department of Justice. But his story would be easier to buy if the Trump-loving Congress member hadn’t destroyed his credibility with false claims about antifa being responsible for the January 6 insurrection, by brazenly trying to intimidate a witness on Twitter and storming a secretive facility at the Capitol in an effort to disrupt Trump’s first impeachment trial; by inviting a notorious Holocaust denier to Trump’s 2018 State of the Union speech; and in general by behaving more like a MAGA dirty trickster than an elected official concerned with doing right by his constituents.

News of the federal investigation of Gaetz broke just hours after Axios reported that he’s “privately told confidants he’s seriously considering not seeking re-election and possibly leaving Congress early for a job at Newsmax,” a right-wing TV outlet that has distinguished itself by being even Trumpier than Fox News.

If what Gaetz told Carlson is any indication, the news surrounding the federal investigation into his conduct could get even worse for him.

“I really saw this as a deeply troubling challenge for my family on March 16, when people were talking about a minor, that there were pictures of me with child prostitutes — that’s obviously false, there will be no such pictures because no such thing happened,” Gaetz volunteered, even though the child pornography allegations were not publicly known before he brought it up.

It’s unclear if Gaetz was trying to get ahead of yet another story. But what is clear is that no lawyer would recommend responding to news of a federal investigation by going on national TV and volunteering that sort of derogatory information.

During a Fox News interview on Wednesday morning, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said he’ll remove Gaetz from committees if the allegations against him turn out to be true, and couldn’t explain why Gaetz was the only Republican to vote against an anti-human trafficking bill in 2017.

“I have no idea whatsoever why he would vote against that,” McCarthy said.

 

[GreyhoundFan]

This is a good video about Matty:

 

[GreyhoundFan]

This. so much this.

[Howl]

Also, at one point since the story broke, Gaetz claimed that the 17-year-old does not actually exist. 

And again, Gaetz does not seem to realize that he has a RIGHT to remain silent. 

He got engaged at the end of December to Ginger Lucky (her actual name). She's 26, he's 38.  

[ADoyle90815]

He keeps digging his own hole since investigators don't need to do anything except let him talk as much as possible.

[47of74]

14 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

This is a good video about Matty:

 

Gives a bit more context to him being the only no vote in 2017. 

Quote

With the news that Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz is under investigation from the Department of Justice for potentially violating federal sex trafficking laws, it’s time to remember that Gaetz cast the singular “no” vote on a human trafficking bill back in 2017.

A report from Orlando Weekly, written in December 2017, revealed that Gaetz had cast the one “no” vote on the Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act — a bill that aimed to give the federal government more resources to fight sex trafficking incidents. Despite Gaetz’s feeble attempt at pushback in the House, it passed unanimously through the U.S. Senate.

During a Facebook Live that took place shortly after the vote, Gaetz — in a video titled “Why I stood alone on a recent vote” — addressed the situation by explaining “unless there is an overwhelming, compelling reason that our existing agencies in the federal government can’t handle that problem, I vote no because voters in Northwest Florida did not send me to Washington to go and create more federal government. If anything, we should be abolishing a lot of the agencies at the federal level like the Department of Education, like the EPA and sending that power back to our state governments.”

Let’s be honest: this wouldn’t be a great look in any situation. But it’s definitely not a great look considering that Gaetz is now being accused of having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old he paid to travel.

 

[47of74]

Oh yeah. I checked. Even guys like Steve King and Blake Ducky Pajamas Farenthold voted for that bill. 

[AnywhereButHere]

He’s getting all the quality supporters. 
 

[Howl]

1 hour ago, 47of74 said:

Even guys like Steve King and Blake Ducky Pajamas Farenthold voted for that bill. 

I'd totally forgotten about that scumbag.  Oddly, he's the grandson (I think) of famous Texas progressive Democrat Sissy Farenthold, who is still cranking along at 94.   She seems to have a soft blind spot for Blake.

Anyway, the Gaetz thing is getting YUGE coverage and Gaetz's association with Joel Greenberg isn't helping  -- I'm gobsmacked at the magnitude of that man's corruption (ethical and moral). He was a sociopathic one-man crime spree, didn't try to hide it and no one bothered to hold him to account, which speaks to the endemic corruption in that county. 

Also, Matt Gaetz is 38 years old and still unmarried, so red flag there.  And yes, I know many people who married late including me, but this in addition to other things coming to light...red flag. 

Oh, and Rep. Kevin McCarthy changed his position yesterday.  At first, he said the Gaetz would be removed from his congressional committee assignments only if he was convicted of underage sex trafficking.  By the evening, McCarthy had turned that around to state that Gaetz would be removed from his committee assignments if (when) he's indicted on those charges. 

Edited April 1, 2021 by Howl

[AmazonGrace]

https://nypost.com/2021/03/31/matt-gaetzs-other-bizarre-tucker-carlson-interview/

Matt Gaetz’s other bizarre Tucker Carlson interview

By Gabrielle Fonrouge

March 31, 2021

Spoiler

Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz’s eyebrow-raising interview on Tucker Carlson Tuesday night — where he claimed sex trafficking allegations against him are nothing more than an elaborate, extortion attempt — wasn’t the first time he appeared on the show to discuss his personal life. 

Last summer, the 38-year-old congressman went on the air to introduce his “son” Nestor Galban — a Cuban immigrant who moved in with him when he was 12 after his mother died of breast cancer, though has not been formally adopted.

“Nestor is the light of my life, I couldn’t imagine loving him anymore if he was my own flesh and blood,” Gaetz told the Fox News host at the time. 

“I’ve raised him for the last six years and he is just the most remarkable young man, I am proud of him.” 

The interview came after a viral showdown between Gaetz and Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-La.) on the house floor where the Florida rep was accused of not understanding the dynamics of raising children of color as officials discussed a policing reform bill. 

“You’ve never lived in my shoes, and you do not know what it’s like to be an African American male, and all I’m saying is if you are opposed to this legislation, let’s just have the vote, but please do not come in this committee room and make a mockery of the pain that exists in my community,” Richmond said at the time. 

Gaetz cut Richmond off and asked him if he was “certain that none of us have nonwhite children? Because you referenced your black son, and you said none of us could understand.”

Richmond told him to “stop” and said he wasn’t “about to get sidetracked about the color of our children.”

“It is not about the color of your kids. It is about black males, black people in the streets that are getting killed, and if one of them happens to be your kid, I’m concerned about him, too, and clearly, I’m more concerned about him than you are,” the Louisiana congressman said. 

Gaetz, visibly angry, then yelled “You’re claiming you have more concern for my family than I do? Who in the hell do you think you are?”

The next morning, Gaetz took to Twitter to introduce Galban as his son and shared a selfie of the two together.  

“For all those wondering, this is my son Nestor. We share no blood but he is my life. He came from Cuba (legally, of course) six years ago and lives with me in Florida. I am so proud of him and raising him has been the best, most rewarding thing I’ve done in my life,” Gaetz wrote.

“As you can imagine, I was triggered when (to make an absurd debate point) a fellow congressman diminished the contributions of Republicans because we don’t raise nonwhite kids. Well, I have.”

Gaetz later told People magazine Galban is the younger brother of one of his ex-girlfriends who moved in with him when he left Cuba. The lawmaker said the 19-year-old has a biological father that at one point lived with Galban in Miami but declined to provide more details on their current relationship. 

The story immediately drew skepticism because the congressman had never before claimed to have children and photos and videos emerged where Gaetz referred to Galban as a “local student” and a “helper” in years past, the outlet reported. 

He said the secrecy was because Galban’s adjustment to life in America was difficult enough and he didn’t want to subject him to “politics.” 

“He’s very eager to be identified as my son as publicly as people will accept it,” he told the mag.

The whereabouts of Galban’s biological father, and their relationship, remain unknown.

 

 

Ex-DOJ official accused of extorting Rep. Matt Gaetz denies allegations

By Lia Eustachewich

March 31, 2021

https://nypost.com/2021/03/31/ex-doj-official-accused-of-extorting-matt-gaetz-denies-allegations/
 

Spoiler

 

The former Department of Justice official accused of trying to extort $25 million from Rep. Matt Gaetz slammed the allegations as a “blatant attempt to distract” from the federal sex-trafficking probe that’s underway.

David McGee, a former federal prosecutor in Florida who is now working at the firm Beggs & Lane, denied blackmailing Gaetz, who is under investigation for his alleged sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl.

“It is completely false,” McGee told the Washington Post. “It’s a blatant attempt to distract from the fact that he’s under investigation for sex trafficking of minors.”

McGee added, “I have no connection with that case at all, other than, one of a thousand people who have heard the rumors.”

After news of the probe involving Gaetz broke on Tuesday, the Florida congressman accused McGee of trying to shake his family down for $25 million.

The Republican claimed the existence of the DOJ probe was leaked to the media in an effort to thwart the FBI investigation into the alleged extortion plot.

 

 

[GreyhoundFan]

[FiveAcres]

There are reports that former Attorney General Barr went out of his way to avoid attending the same events as Matt Gaetz once the DOJ started investigating Gaetz last summer. If the investigation of Gaetz started with what they found when investigating Greenberg, and it was so bad that Barr was repulsed, it indicates there is likely to be fire and not just smoke. 

[TuringMachine]

There was a tik tok posted on reddit earlier this week of a woman responding to evangelical christians defending their appropriation of passover. She ended it with a great line:

"Friend, you know if you keep your mouth closed, the words don’t fall out, right?"

I feel like someone should tell that to Matt.

[SassyPants]

When Gaetz goes, can he take McCarthy and Jim Jordan with him?

[zeebaneighba]

6 hours ago, Howl said:

I'd totally forgotten about that scumbag.  Oddly, he's the grandson (I think) of famous Texas progressive Democrat Sissy Farenthold, who is still cranking along at 94.   She seems to have a soft blind spot for Blake.

Anyway, the Gaetz thing is getting YUGE coverage and Gaetz's association with Joel Greenberg isn't helping  -- I'm gobsmacked at the magnitude of that man's corruption (ethical and moral). He was a sociopathic one-man crime spree, didn't try to hide it and no one bothered to hold him to account, which speaks to the endemic corruption in that county. 

Also, Matt Gaetz is 38 years old and still unmarried, so red flag there.  And yes, I know many people who married late including me, but this in addition to other things coming to light...red flag. 

Oh, and Rep. Kevin McCarthy changed his position yesterday.  At first, he said the Gaetz would be removed from his congressional committee assignments only if he was convicted of underage sex trafficking.  By the evening, McCarthy had turned that around to state that Gaetz would be removed from his committee assignments if (when) he's indicted on those charges. 

I'm curious why you think being unmarried at 38 is a red flag.  Not everyone gets married.  Not everyone WANTS to get married. I'm not defending Gaetz, I'd love to see him expelled from Congress and convicted, but I'm baffled by why you think that is a red flag, even with all the other info that is coming to light.

[WiseGirl]

Well I never knew a dog would be used as a diversionary tactic but here we are.

 

[Coconutwater]

Matt Gaetz is an embarrassment to Florida (as if we needed anything else to be embarrassed about) I hope this scumbag gets what is coming to him and doesn't see the light of day again. They need to impeach him now and throw him in jail with Trump (who needs to be in there)

[Smash!]

33 minutes ago, SassyPants said:

When Gaetz goes, can he take McCarthy and Jim Jordan with him?

Devin Nunez as well please.

[GreyhoundFan]

1 hour ago, SassyPants said:

When Gaetz goes, can he take McCarthy and Jim Jordan with him?

And Gomert and Gosar.

[onekidanddone]

1 hour ago, SassyPants said:

When Gaetz goes, can he take McCarthy and Jim Jordan with him?

King from Iowa and Greene from Georgia can leave as well. I’d also like the door to hit them in the ass on the way out. 
Adding: Matt the Brat palled around with a known sex trafficker and even visited the White House with him.  Just how many sex offenders does OFM know?
 

 

Edited April 1, 2021 by onekidanddone

[JordynDarby5]

Hawley, Boebert, and McConnell too,