AND PAID FOR A HER TO TRAVEL WITH HIM GAETZ WENT ON FOX NEWS, THIS IS PART OF AN EXTORTION -- THE INTERVIEW SEEMS TO ONLY RAISE MORE QUESTIONS. >> I ONLY KNOW WHAT I’VE READ IN "NEW YORK TIMES. I CAN SAY THAT ACTUALLY YOU AND I WENT TO DINNER ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, YOUR WIFE WAS THERE I BROUGHT A FRIEND OF MINE, YOU WILL REMEMBER HER. SHE WAS ACTUALLY THREATENED BY THE FBI, TOLD IF SHE WOULDN’T COP TO THE FACT THAT SOMEHOW I WAS INVOLVED IN SOME PAY-FOR-PLAY SCHEME, SHE COULD FACE TROUBLE I DO BELIEVE THERE ARE PEOPLE AT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WHO ARE TRYING TO SMEAR ME, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING FOR FLIGHTS AND IS NOT A CRIME, AND I’M JUST TROUBLED THAT THE LACK OF ANY SORT OF LEGITIMATE INVESTIGATION INTO ME WOULD THEN PER MUTE, WOULD THEN CONVERT INTO THIS EXTORTION ATTEMPT. >> I DON’T REMEMBER THE WOMAN YOU’RE SPEAKING OF OR TH CONTEXT OF ALL THAT WAS ONE OF THE WEIRDEST INTERVIEWS THAT I’VE EVER CONDUCTED. >> HOW BAD IS IT IT’S SO BAD THAT TUCKER CARLSON CAN’T FOLLOW THE THREAD. THAT APPEARS TO BE A COVER STORY. HERE’S THE REAL STORY -- THEY ARE EXAMININGS WHETHER HE VIOLATED SEX TRAFFICKING LAWS. SO A VARIETY OF FEDERAL STATUTES MAKES IT ILLEGAL TO INDUCE SOMEONE OVER 18-YEAR-OLD TO TRAVEL OVER STATE LINES TO ENGAGE IN SEX. AND OFFENDERS OFTEN -- HERE’S THE PLOT TWIST MATT GAETZ, OF ALL THE PEOPLE ON THE PLANET, SHOULD KNOW PRECISELY HOW HARSHLY CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING IS TREATED IT MIGHT EXPLAIN HIS LONE VOTE AGAINST LEGISLATION, BUT THE REAL REASON MATT GAETZ SHOULD NO HOW HARSHLY FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS TREAT CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING, IS BECAUSE HIS VERY, VERY VERY, VERY VERY CLOSE FRIEND AND POLITICAL ALLY, A FRIEND SO CLOSE THAT MATT GAETZ BROUGHT THIS FRIEND WITH HIM TO THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE, TOOK THIS PICTURE? IS NOW IN JAIL FOR VIOLATING BOND IN A CASE INVOLVING CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING. FROM THE "NEW YORK TIMES" REPORT -- THREE PEOPLE SAID THE EXAMINATION OF MR. GAETZ 38 IS PART OF A BROAD ARE INVESTIGATION, JOEL GREENBERG, WHO WAS INDICTED LAST SUMMER ON AN ARRAYS OF CHARGES, AND FINANCIALLY SUPPORTING PEOPLE IN EXCHANGE FOR SEX, AT LEAST ONE OF WHOM WAS AN UNDERAGE GIRL GREENBERG HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO THOSE CHARGES WE HAVE GONE FROM TALKING ABOUT MATT GAETZ, AS SOMEONE SO DISDAINFUL THAT HE WORE A GAS MASK TO MOCK COVID PROTECTION, SOMEONE SO FULL OF HATE FOR HIS COLLEAGUES, THAT HE TRAVELED TO WYOMING IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC TO ATTACK LIZ CHENEY, TO SOMEONE WHO IS NOW UNDER INVESTIGATION, ONE LAUNCHED BY BILL BARR’S DOJ FOR CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING. BILL BARR’S DOJ LET A LOT OF BAD GUYS GET AWAY WITH A LOT OF STUFF, BUT HERE WE ARE >>> JOINING OUR CONVERSATION IS KATY BENNER, ALSO JOINING US IS JOYCE VANCE, AND MATT MILLER IS HERE, LUCKY FOR US, ALL THREE MSNBC CONTRIBUTORS. >> IF YOU COULD JUST MAKE SENSE WHAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT, WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT WITH TUCKER HE TALKING ABOUT WITH TUCKER CARLSON? >> HE’S ALLEGED AFTER THE INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED UP, THAT SOMEBODY LOCAL, IN NORTHERN FLORIDA, FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS, AND SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, HE COULD MAKE THE INVESTIGATION GO AWAY IN EXCHANGE FOR A HUGE SUM OF MONEY, FOR $25 BILLION. THAT’S WHAT GAETZ CONTENDS IT SEEMS AS THOUGH WHAT GAETZ IS TRYING TO SAY IS THAT THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THIS EXTORTION PLOT SOMEHOW ALSO CREATED THE SEX TRAFFICKING INVESTIGATION SIMPLY TO EXTORT MONEY FROM HIM THE TIMELINE MAKES THAT IMPROBABLE, HOWEVER THAT SEEMS TO BE HIS CLAIM. THIS WAS AN INVESTIGATION BEGUN AT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT UNDER BILL BARR, KNOWINGLY, BALL ALL INVESTIGATIONS OF THIS CALIBER OF AN OFFICIAL THIS HIGH UP DO OF AN OFFICIAL THIS HIGH UP DO NEED A SIGN-OFF. >> YEAH, I MEAN, LOOK, MATT MILLER, WE’RE ALSO IN A SITUATION WHERE ONE IS NOT RELATED TO THE OTHER THE TIMELINE IS UNDENIED AS IS POINTED OUT. THERE’S GREAT "ORLANDO SENTINEL" REPORTING ABOUT MATT GAETZ’ VERY, VERY GOOD FRIEND THAT HE BROUGHT HIM FROM FLORIDA TO THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE. JOEL BREEN BERG RESIGNED AFTER BEING ARREST AT HOME BY FEDERAL AGENTS HE FACES 14 CHARGES, INCLUDING ALLEGATIONS THAT HE STALKED A POLITICAL POINT, POLITICAL POLITICAL OPPONENTS, AND CREATED FAKE IDs WITH WHOM HE WALL STREET ENGAGED IN A SUGAR DADDY RELATIONSHIP. SEVERAL FORMER EMPLOYEES SAID THAT GREENBERG ALSO MENTIONED THE CONNECTION WITH MATT GAETZ THIS SPECIFIC LINE HERE OF SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH GIRL WHO ARE UNDERAGE THE SEX TRAFFICKING SEEMS TO BE THE MOST SERIOUS IMPLICATION WHAT DO YOU MAKE SO FAR? >> FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT COULD GO WITHOUT SAYING YOU CAN BOTH BYE THE VICTIM OF A CRIME AND THE CRIMINAL ITSELF. THAT WOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE UNDERLYING FACT OF WHETHER HE COMMITTED A CRIME OR NOT, IN COMMITTING SEX TRAFFICKING WITH A MINOR I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS INVESTIGATION, THE FACT IT DID GROW OUT OF THIS INVESTIGATION INTO HIS CLOSE FRIEND OF HIS, WHO HAS ALREADY BEEN INDICTED, IF I HAD TO GUESS WHAT PROSECUTORS ARE DOING HERE, OBVIOUSLY THEY’RE EXAMINING GAETZ’ ACTIVITY, FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS, I SUSPECT THAT THEY HAVE EITHER TALKED OR TRIED TO TALK TO THE MINOR, BUT THAT ULTIMATELY THE THING THEY’RE GOING FOR IN THE CASE IS, HAVING THROWN ALL THESE VARIOUS -- THEY’RE GOING TO TRY TO FLIP HIM TO TESTIFY AGAINST HIS GOOD FRIEND, MATT GAETZ I WOULD BET AT THE END OF THE LINE THAT’S WHERE THEY’RE HEADED IF I WAS GAETZ, THAT WOULD BE THE THING I’M MOST WORRIED ABOUT. THE WAY HE’S BEHAVED IN THE LAST 24 HOURS SINCE THIS NEWS BROKE, FLAILING AROUND ON FOX NEWS, AND IN MULTIPLE, YOU KNOW, INTERVIEWS WITH REPORTERS, KIND OF, YOU KNOW, IMPLICATING HIMSELF OR RAISING CHARGES THAT HAVEN’T BEEN PUBLICLY ALLEGED AGAINST HIM, TRY TO GO IMPLICATE TUCKER CARLSON IN HIS OWN BEHAVIOR, SHOWS YOU A PERSON WHO IS PANICS UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT. I DON’T THINK THAT SPEAKS VERY WELL ABOUT HOW HE MIGHT HANDLE THE INVESTIGATION GOING FORWARD. >> IT LOOKED LIKE TUCKER CARLSON MIGHT HAVE BEEN WONDERING THAT DID HE BECOME A WITNESS? >> IT WAS REALLY HARD TO TELL WHAT GAETZ WAS TRYING TO DO IN THAT INTERVIEW HE LOOKED LIKE SOMEONE WHO DESPERATELY NEEDS A LAWYER TO MAKE SURE HE DOESN’T PUT HIMSELF IN MORE TROUBLE THAN HE’S ALREADY IN SOMETHING THAT FASCINATED ME IN THAT INTERVIEW, WAS AT ONE POINT HE TALKED ABOUT FBI AGENTS TRYING TO INTERVIEW THIS SUPPOSED GIRLFRIEND. HE USED LANGUAGE THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SEX TRAFFICKING. HE USED THE LANGUAGE PAY TO PLAY THAT’S WHEN THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC CORRUPTION, POLITICIANS WHO INSIST ON BEING COMPENSATIONED NOTHING THAT WE HEARD REALLY MADE SAENZ. >> I WANT TO ASK MORE, IT FEELS IMPORTANT TO THE STORY THAT THIS WAS AN INVESTIGATION UNDER RULES THAT -- I DON’T KNOW IF -- BILL BARR DEMANDED ANY INVESTIGATION INTO A POLITICAL FIGURE, AND I IMAGINE HIS WORKFORCE MEANT THAT AS MEANING ESPECIALLY REPUBLICAN POLITICIANS, AND IN THE CASE OF MATT GAETZ, MAYBE ANOTHER PERSON WHO FUNCTIONED ALMOST IN THE SAME WAY DONALD TRUMP, JR., DID POLITICAL. BARR WAS BRIEFED ON THIS CASE. IS THAT RIGHT? TELL ME WHAT YOU UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE BAR JUSTICE DEPARTMENT’S LEADERSHIP’S ROLE IN OPENING AND PURSUING THIS INVESTIGATION. >> YOU’RE RIGHT BAR WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS IN FEBRUARY 2020, HE SENT A NOTE TO ALL FEDERAL PROSECUTORS, SAYING IF YOU’RE GOING TO INVESTIGATE ANY CANDIDATES IN THE UPCOMING ELECTION, MAIN JUST NEEDS TO BE NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY. HE ALSO SAID OTHER PROMINENT POLITICIANS NEEDED TO ALSO BE VETTED IN THE SAME WAY, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. OVER WHERE THE INVESTIGATION IS TAKING PLACE, THAT THE PROPER OFFICIAL AT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, EITHER THE HEAD OF NATIONAL SECURITY OR THE CRIMINAL DIVISION WOULD ALSO BE NOTIFIED, AND HE SAID AS BEST PRACTICE, THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL AND ATTORNEY GENERAL SHOULD ALSO BE NOTIFIED. IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT UNIT BILL BARR, HE WAS A REAL MICROMANAGER THAT WAS HIS WAY OF SAYING, YOU HAD BETTER NOTIFY MY OFFICE. HE KNEW WHAT THE FBI HAD ALREADY FOUND IN RELATION TO THE GREENBERG INVESTIGATION, AND HE FELT THAT IT WAS STRONG ENOUGH SET OF ALLEGATIONS, VERY SERIOUS
