Ted Lieu just ripped Matt Gaetz to pieces
After it was reported that the Department of Justice is investigating Congressman Matt Gaetz for allegedly having a sexual relationship with an underage girl and transporting her across state lines, Gaetz went on the Tucker Carlson show and didn’t exactly help his cause. For instance, Gaetz made claims about a dinner involving himself, a woman, and Carlson, and by the end of it, Carlson was insisting that he had no idea what Gaetz was talking about. But there was more to it.
For instance, during the interview, Matt Gaetz announced that someone has alleged that there are photos of him and child prostitutes. But this hasn’t been reported anywhere, so why is he even talking about it? Congressman Ted Lieu tweeted this in response: “Why would Rep Matt Gaetz go on national TV and volunteer a new derogatory allegation about himself that hadn’t appeared in the press articles?”
Then there was the part of the interview in which Matt Gaetz semi-incoherently appeared to imply that the girl was of age by the time he transported her across state lines – or at least that’s how LA Times legal Harry Litman analyst interpreted Gaetz’s words. Ted Lieu then pointed out that Florida has a criminal statute which says that “A person 24 years of age or older who engages in sexual activity with a person 16 or 17 years of age commits a felony of the second degree.” In other words, it wouldn’t help Gaetz’s case even if the girl did turn 18 before he transported her across state lines.
In any case, this just keeps getting worse for Matt Gaetz. He’s still insisting that he’s innocent and that he’s being extorted over this by an unnamed former DOJ official. One way or the other, the facts will come out. But Gaetz’s TV appearance went so poorly for him, an exasperated Tucker Carlson felt compelled to come back after the break and insist that it was one of the “weirdest” interviews he’d ever done. Whatever is really going on here, it’s not good.
