The sexual assault scandal surrounding Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz just keeps getting worse, as the federal probe into his misconduct with an underage girl, itself sparked by a case against former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg, now involves "at least one minor" and also apparently involves misconduct outside Florida as well.
The federal investigation into Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz is focused on allegations that the junior congressman had a sexual relationship with at least one minor, and is scrutinizing the Republican's conduct not only in Florida but outside the politician's home state too, three sources familiar with the investigation tell ABC News.
The investigation, first reported by the New York Times Tuesday and confirmed by ABC News, has sent shockwaves through Republican circles, particularly among close associates of former President Donald Trump, who considered Gaetz a staunch ally and loyal friend.
"I have not had a relationship with a 17-year-old. That is totally false," Gaetz told Fox News' Tucker Carlson in an interview Tuesday night. "That is false and records will bear that out to be false."
Sources told ABC News the investigation has been going on for months and began during the Trump administration. Former Attorney General Bill Barr was briefed on the investigation's progress several times, the sources said.
One source told ABC News that federal authorities have already interviewed multiple witnesses as part of their probe.
Gaetz has reportedly told confidants he is considering retiring from Congress and possibly joining the right-wing media outlet Newsmax, according to an Axios report earlier Tuesday.
Yet within the last several weeks Gaetz started reaching out to prominent attorneys, according to one source. The source said that one of the attorneys Gaetz asked to represent him was Washington attorney Bill Burck, who represented Steve Bannon, Reince Priebus and Don McGahn during the Mueller probe. Burck turned down the case, according to a person familiar with the decision.
This is a terrible story and Gaetz should immediately resign, frankly.
Politically though, I can't stress enough that Bill Barr knew about this for months and didn't say a word. The Trumpies seemed shocked by it all too, indicating Donald Trump wasn't told about it. Since Trump can't keep a damn secret, especially if it gives him leverage over someone, he would have blurted it out on Twitter months ago if he had.
Makes you wonder what other secrets that Bil Barr hid from Trump...and what current Biden AG Merrick Garland now knows...
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