Gaetz accuses local attorney of extortion

Late yesterday, The New York Times published a story that the DOJ was investigating Congressman Matt Gaetz for an alleged relationship with a 17-year-old girl.

Appearing  on “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Gaetz  called the allegation “a lie,” and said he was the victim of an extortion scheme tied to Beggs & Lane attorney David McGee, a former U.S. Attorney.

“On March 16, my father got a text message demanding a meeting wherein a person demanded $25 million in exchange for making horrible sex trafficking allegations against me go away,” said the three-term Republican congressman.

He said the FBI and the Department of Justice were so concerned about this attempted extortion of a member of Congress that they asked my dad to wear a wire. Gaetz demanded on air that the federal authorities release the tapes that “will prove my innocence and that will show that these allegations aren’t true.”

The congressman alleged his father, former Senate President Don Gaetz, was to contact McGee today for instructions on how to make a $4.5 million down payment on the bribe.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that tonight somehow, The New York Times is leaking this information, smearing me and ruining the investigation that would likely result in a one of the former colleagues of the current DOJ being brought to justice for trying to extort me and my family,” said Gaetz.

He later added, “As a matter of fact, one of the recordings that was made at the FBI and Department of Justice request occurred at that law firm, and the money that was supposed to be paid today that would have shown even more evidence of David McGee’s work in this extortion scheme, that was foiled by The New York Times story, and I believe that why this horrible information and terrible allegations have been used this evening.”

Inweekly emailed McGee this morning, asking for comments.  According to his profile on the firm’s website, he served for six years as the First Assistant at the United States Attorney’s Office and for seven years as the Lead Attorney for a United States Department of Justice Organized Crime Task Force.