This morning, Rep. Matt Gaetz’s former military affairs, Nathan Nelson, held a press conference in the driveway of his Santa Rosa Beach home to say any assertions that he left the congressman’s staff due to knowledge of Gaetz’s alleged illegal activities were “baseless.”
Nelson, a disabled retired Air Force captain, served in the military from June 2016-November 2015 and was on Gaetz’s staff until November 2020 when he left for a job in the private sector.
He said the FBI visited his home last Wednesday and questioned him about his resignation. According to Nelson, the agents said they were there because of the media.
“They told me that members of the media reached out to them, saying that I had previous knowledge of Congressman Gaetz’s involvement in illegal activities,” he said.
He asserted that since the FBI questions where based on media tips that were baseless, “Congressman Gaetz’s are likewise fabricated and merely an attempt to discredit a very vocal conservative.”
Nelson said he shared the FBI’s visit with Gaetz’s staff but had not talked with the congressman for “several months.” Gaetz’s office announced the presser to the media.
“It’s clear that, you know, there are people out there that are making baseless allegations,” he said. “I wanted to make sure that my words were direct from my mouth.”
When asked by reporters, Nelson said that he had never met former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg, who has been sex trafficking a 17-year-old girl among other federal charges and linked to Gaetz.
Another reporter asked Nelson if he had any specific information about that would lead him to discredit the investigation.
“I don’t know have any specific knowledge on the investigation or any of the facts that are involved with that investigation,” said Nelson.