The New York Times is breaking news tonight that GOP Representative Matt Gaetz “is being investigated by the Justice Department 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.”
According to the Times, “Investigators are examining whether Mr. Gaetz violated federal sex trafficking laws, the people said.”
An interesting note in the story – the probe apparently began while Bill Barr, a staunch Trump ally like Gaetz, was running the DOJ.
Earlier today AXIOS reported that Gaetz may be leaving politics when his term is up in 2022 to become a host at Newsmax.
UPDATE: Gaetz has confirmed to Axios he is under investigation.
“The allegations against me are as searing as they are false,” Gaetz said in a 13-minute phone interview with Axios. “I believe that there are people at the Department of Justice who are trying to criminalize my sexual conduct, you know when I was a single guy.”