VERY INTERESTING STUFF THERE. I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO THIS EDITION OF "THE BEAT" WITH ARI MEL MEL BURN. WE CONTINUE WITH THE SEX TRAFFICKING SCANDAL OF MATT GAETZ WHICH PUTS UNBEARABLE PRESSURE ON THE TRUMP-GAETZ RELATIONSHIP. YOU SEE THE HEADLINE THERE. THIS MATTERS BECAUSE, REMEMBER, CONGRESSMAN GAETZ HAS CLAIMED HES INNOCENT. HES ALSO CLAIMED THAT HES NOTHING MORE THAN BASICALLY A WILLING SUBJECT IN A DOJ PROBE OF SOMEONE ELSE. HES EVEN BUYING AD TIME TO ATTACK THE MEDIA AND PREDICTING HELL BE VINDICATED AND THAT THERE IS NO REAL STORY HERE. BUT THANKS TO LEGALLY REQUIRED CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURES, THE WORLD IS LEARNING THAT GAETZ MOVED 85,000 INTENDED ORIGINALLY FOR CAMPAIGNING INTO HIS OWN LEGAL DEFENSE. SO SOMETHING, SOMETHING IS COSTING HIM A LOT AS THIS GOES FORWARD, A PROBE HE SAYS IS GOING NOWHERE. THE FEES STARTED RIGHT AFTER THE INITIAL INDICTMENT OF GAETZS ASSOCIATE. GAETZ FOR HIS PART HAS VOWED TO FIGHT TO THE VERY END. HE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT HIS RECENT DEFIANT MAGA EVENT. >> I HAVE NOT YET BEGUN TO FIGHT FOR THE COUNTRY I LOVE AND FOR THE NATION THAT I KNOW BENEFITS FROM AMERICA FIRST PRINCIPALS. IM BUILT FOR THE BATTLE, AND IM NOT GOING ANYWHERE. >> HE IS BATTLING, BUT THATS NOT ALL. A NEW WASHINGTON POST REPORT ON THE TANGLES ORIGINS OF THIS CASE, INCLUDES THE BIZARRE AND, FRANKLY, DESPICABLE REVELATION THAT THE GAETZ ALLY TAKE MAJOR STEPS TO FALSELY SMEAR A LOCAL TEACHER, FALSELY ACCUSING HIM OF BEING A PEDOPHILE. IT INCLUDED A LETTER THAT BOOMERANGED LANDING THAT LOCAL TAX OFFICIAL, JOEL GREENBERG AND NOW GAETZ IN THE CROSS HAIRS OF A POLITICAL INVESTIGATION. LEADING TO THE MANY CHARGES THAT HE FACES TODAY, WHICH INCLUDE ALLEGED SEX CRIMES. GREENBERG, I SHOULD SAY, HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO THOSE CHARGES, BUT HIS LAWYER SAYS THEY ARE LIKELY NEGOTIATING A PLEA DEAL WHICH TYPICALLY INVOLVED ADMITTING SOME CHARGES. AS THIS WHOLE SCANDAL STAYS IN THE NEWS, LEGALLY POLITICIANS ARE STRUGGLING WITH IT. McCARTHY IS DODGING QUESTIONS ABOUT GAETZ WHO HAS FACED TWO HOUSE ETHICS PROBES. TODAY A THIRD REPUBLICAN HOUSE MEMBER SAYS HE WONT TAKE THE REPUBLICANS MONEY AND IS FORKING OVER PAST CAMPAIGN FUNDS. MEANWHILE, GAETZ ALLIANCE WITH GOVERNOR DeSANTIS UNDER STRAIN BECAUSE REPUBLICANS SEE GAETZ AS A LIABILITY, ACCORDING TO NEW AP REPORTING. AND THOSE TWO, WELL, THEY USED TO BUDDY UP AND CAMPAIGN TOGETHER. GAETZ WAS EVEN ADVISING DeSANTIS CAMPAIGN DURING HIS BAHAMAS TRIP IN 2018. BUT THE GOVERNORS OFFICE TELLS THE PRESS IT HAS NO COMMENT ABOUT GAETZS INVESTIGATION. AND THE ONCE MAGA-FRIENDLY CONGRESSMAN IS LEARNING THE HARD WAY THAT WHEN YOU CAMPAIGN WITH PEOPLE LIKE DONALD TRUMP OR DeSANTIS OR EVEN SHAWN HANNITY, THESE THINGS TURN OUT TO BE PRETTY TRANSACTIONAL BECAUSE GAETZ NEEDS EACH OF THOSE PEOPLE NOW MORE THAN EVER, AND THEY ARE BAILING, A CONTRAST TO THE GOVERNORS PRIOR LOVE FEST. >> CONGRESSMAN GAETZ HERE, WHO HAS BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD FOR THE PEOPLE OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA. >> GOVERNOR, IN ALL THE WORK WE HAVE DONE TOGETHER, I HAVE NEVER BEEN PROUDER. >> I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE RIGHT TO BRING MY GOOD FRIEND GOVERNOR DeSANTIS RIGHT HERE. >> HES DONE A LOT OF CAMPAIGN EVENTS WITH ME. >> IT IS GOOD TO HAVE A NAVY GUY LIKE GOVERNOR DeSANTIS HERE. >> IM JOINED NOW BY "THE WASHINGTON POST"S AUTHOR ON THE REPORTING OF THE ORIGINS OF THE GAETZ PROBE, VERY INTERESTING STUFF AND STRSTRATEGIST. THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU FOR BEING HERE. CONGRESSMAN GAETZ DENIES ALL WRONGDOING. YET, MATT, YOU SEEM TO BE PULLING ON SOME THREADS THAT ARE INTERESTING AND THERE MAY BE SOME SCANDAL HERE EVEN IF NOTHING HAS BEEN CHARGED OR INDICTED AGAINST THE CONGRESSMAN YET. WHAT DID YOU FIND? >> WE FOUND HOW THIS INVESTIGATION JUMPED FROM THIS GUY YOU MENTIONED, JOEL GREENBERG, INTO MATT GAETZ. AND THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT IS THEYRE INVESTIGATING THIS GUY JOEL GREENBERG, A LOCAL TAX COLLECTOR WHO RISES IN REPUBLICAN POLITICS AT THE SAME TIME THAT GAETZ IS ELECTED TO CONGRESS IN 2016. THEY BECOME BEST FRIENDS, PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE MEN SAY THEY WOULD PARTY TOGETHER. JOEL GREENBERG WOULD ARRANGE WOMEN FOR MATT GAETZ. IN THE COURSE OF THIS GREENBERG INVESTIGATION, THEY ARREST GREENBERG ON CHARGES BASICALLY TRYING TO SMEAR A TEACHER WHO RUNNING AGAINST HIM FOR TAX COLLECTOR. WHEN THEY ARREST HIM, THEY TAKE HIS ELECTRONICS AND SEARCH THROUGH HIS RECORDS. IN GOING THROUGH THOSE, THEY FIND EVIDENCE AGAINST GAETZ INCLUDING PAYMENTS TO WOMEN ON AN ELECTRONIC CASH APP TYPE OF DEAL. >> HEY, MATT -- >> ITS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT -- >> JUST PAUSING ON THAT, I WANT YOU TO CONTINUE, BUT JUST THERE THAT WAS SUCH A STRIKING PART OF YOUR STORY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS PRETTY SERIOUS STUFF. WERE NOT EVEN MENTIONING THE TEACHERS NAME BECAUSE WE DONT SEE ANY REASON TO ASSOCIATE THE NAME WITH WHAT WAS A DEBUNKED CLAIM. BUT THIS GREENBERG FELLOW WHO IS NOW FACING A LOT OF HEAT, AND IF HE HAS EVIDENCE ON GAETZ, HE HAS A LOT OF REASON TO COOPERATE ACCORDING TO EXPERTS WE SPOKE WITH, BUT WHAT REALLY GOT HIM IN FIRST THIS MUCH TROUBLE WAS THIS DESPICABLE AND SLOPPY EFFORT TO TAKE A RANDOM INDEPENDENT INNOCENT TEACHER AND FALSELY ACCUSE THEM OF BEING A PEDOPHILE. >> THAT WAS THE BASIS OF THE FIRST CHARGES AGAINST GREENBERG. THERE WERE TWO COUNTS AND IT WAS JUST RELATED TO THIS TEACHER. BUT I SHOULD POINT OUT, THERE HAVE BEEN ALLEGATIONS SWIRLING AROUND GREENBERG MISMANAGING MONEY IN THE TAX OFFICE FOR YEARS PREDATING. HE HAD RETAINED A LAWYER TO REPRESENT HIM BEFORE HE SMEARED THE TEACHER. SO IT IS CERTAINLY POSSIBLE THAT EVENTUALLY THE FEDS WOULD HAVE GOTTEN ON TO HIM ANYWAY, BUT THE TEACHER IS KIND OF WHAT GIVES THEM THE HOOK TO ARREST HIM AND THEN EVERYTHING SORT OF CASCADES. >> YEAH. IM GOING TO BRING JUANITA IN MOMENTARILY. BUT I WANT TO READ AGAIN. I MENTIONED THEY POSE A QUESTION PARTLY IMPLICATING PEOPLE -- I DONT KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER THE TALKING HEADS SONG "PEOPLE LIKE US," DO YOU REMEMBER THAT ONE? >> SURE DONT. >> WELL, ITS PEOPLE LIKE US. ITS PEOPLE LIKE US THAT TALK ON THE RADIO OR IN THIS CASE TELEVISION. BASICALLY, IT IS AN ATTACK ON PEOPLE LIKE YOU, MATT, AND PEOPLE LIKE ME. THEYRE SAYING THE MEDIA IS UNFAIR. IM GOING TO READ THIS STATEMENT. IS THE MEDIA, QUOTE, JUST GOING TO CONTINUE RUNNING THE SAME ANONYMOUSLY SOURCED STORIES EVERY DAY, REPACKAGED TO AVOID ADMITTING THE OBVIOUS THAT OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS THEY HYPE CHARGES AND ALLEGATIONS THAT REPRESENTATIVE GAETZ HAS REPEATEDLY DENIED THAT AND THAT REMAINS ZERO EVIDENCE OF, END QUOTE. AS I SAY, THATS KIND OF HITTING ME, KIND OF HITTING YOU OR ANYONE DOING THIS WORK. YOUR RESPONSE TO THE GAETZS VIEW THAT AT THIS POINT "THE WASHINGTON POST" IS PULLING ON REAL STUFF OR NOT WORKING WITH EVIDENCE. >> SO, LOOK, NOT ALL THE SOURCES IN THAT STORY THE ANONYMOUS, RIGHT? WE TALKED TO THE TEACHER ON THE RECORD. WE TALKED TO THE TEACHRE LAWYER ON THE RECORD. WE REVIEWED HUNDREDS OF PAGES OF INDICTMENTS, OF POLICE REPORTS, OF AUDIT REPORTS OF THIS COUNTY TAX COLLECTORS OFFICE. WE DID TALK TO SOME PEOPLE ANONYMOUSLY BECAUSE WE SORT OF HAVE TO DO THAT. TIME WILL TELL WHETHER HE GETS CHARGED OR NOT. IM NOT DRAWING A CONCLUSION THERE. IM JUST REPORTING ON AN INVESTIGATION. HE SAYS THATS GOING TO GO NOWHERE, AND WELL SEE. BUT WHAT WERE REPORTING, THE FACTS WERE REPORTING ARE REAL AND HIS STATEMENT DOESNT SORT OF CONTESTS THAT. IT JUST OBJECTS TO THE FACT THAT WE MADE THEM. >> JUANITA? >> I THINK WHATS STRIKING ABOUT ALL OF THIS, ARI, IS PER MATTS REPORTING GREENBERG LIT A FIRE WITH A DISGUSTING LIE AND THIS DISGUSTING ACCUSATION THAT HE LED INVESTIGATORS INTO HIS POTENTIALLY CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR THAT RESULTED IN, WHAT, 33 FEDERAL CHARGES. I THINK IT IS EXPLICITLY ALARMING THAT THERE IS THIS FOUNDATION OF HIS WORK AS A TAX COLLECTOR TO MAKE THAT CLAIM AGAINST A PRIMARY OPPONENT. BUT THEN AS YOU START TO UNRAVEL THE ENTIRE SITUATION, PULLING IN SOMEONE LIKE REPRESENTATIVE GAETZ, PULLING IN OTHER DONORS FROM ACROSS THE STATE, OTHER POLITICAL APPOINTEES INTO THIS INVESTIGATION THAT ARE BEING QUESTIONED RIGHT NOW, THAT YIELDS THE QUESTION WHAT IS GOING ON IN FLORIDA THAT THIS MANY PEOPLE ARE BEING QUESTIONED THAT, LETS BE REAL, CENTERS ON SEXUAL TRAFFICKING AND ABUSE OF MINORS AND IT IS TRULY DISGUSTING AND TRULY TROUBLING. I THINK WHATS ALSO TROUBLING IS WHAT WE HAVE SEEN FROM GOP MEMBERS AND CONGRESS WHERE THEY MIGHT NOT BE NECESSARILY CIRCLE THE MAGGENS AGAINST SOMEONE LIKE GAETZ, BUT THEY ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING TO RAISE FURTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS BEHAVIOR, WHICH HAS BEEN REPORTED TO MULTIPLE OUTLETS, WHETHER ITS SHOWING INDECENT IMAGES ON THE HOUSE FLOOR OR BRAGGING ABOUT HIS ESCAPADES. SOMEONE LIKE GAETZ HAS BEEN RUNNING AROUND CONGRESS FOR YEARS NOW WITH NO ACCOUNTABILITY FROM HIS OWN PARTY. AND IM NOT SHOCKED THAT WERE NOT SEEING ANY FORM OF ACCOUNTABILITY NOW WHEN HES UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION. >> AND WHAT DO YOU THINK IT SAYS ABOUT THE NATURE OF THIS WHOLE MAGA SITUATION? BECAUSE GAETZ GOT VERY PROMINENT ON FOX NEWS AND BEING FRIENDS WITH THE PRESIDENT. HE WAS A VERY JUNIOR CONGRESSMAN. NOW HE DOESNT SEEM ABLE TO PHONE A FRIEND FOR ANYTHING. >> ITS PURELY TRANSACTIONAL. THEY WILL USE YOU AS LONG AS YOURE AN ASSET. BUT AS LONG AS YOU ARE NOT AN ASSET, ITS FINE TO BE DISCARDED. WHEN IS THAT INFLECTION POINT WHEN WE HAVE MORE DETAILS COMING OUT FROM THIS INVESTIGATION. I HOPE LIT BE BEFORE FORMAL CHARGES CONSIDERING HE SITS ON THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, THE COMMITTEE THAT PROVIDES OVERSIGHT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, WHICH IS RUNNING THIS INVESTIGATION, BUT IM DOUBTFUL THEY WILL DO ANYTHING BESIDES WAIT AND SEE OR AS McCARTHY SAYS GAETZ SAID HES INNOCENT AND THATS ENOUGH FOR HIM RIGHT NOW. >> YEAH. ALL REALLY INTERESTING STUFF. WE HAVE BEEN COVERING EVERY
