>>> FLORIDA REPUBLICAN MATT
GAETZ, I HAVE TO SAY, I WAS ON
VACATION LAST WEEK, BUT I DID
MAKE A LITTLE TIME FOR THIS
STORY.
IN THE MIDST OF SWIRLING REPORTS
OF INVESTIGATION AND ALLEGATIONS
OF POSSIBLE SEX WITH A
17-YEAR-OLD AND PAYING FOR SEX
WITH OTHER WOMEN SAYS THE SWAMP
IS OUT TO GET ME.
HE’S REFUSING TO RESIGN, BUT
OTHER REPUBLICANS ARE TAKING
POTSHOTS AT GAETZ IN THE SAFETY
OF OFF THE RECORD ANONYMITY.
REPUBLICANS WILL ABSOLUTELY CALL
FOR HIM TO RESIGN PUBLICLY IF
HE’S INDICTED ON THE CHARGES
THAT INCLUDE SEX WITH A
TEENAGER.
MELANIE HAS BEEN HELPING COVER
THIS STORY.
IT’S GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON.
THERE’S THIS INVESTIGATION OF
GAETZ, HIS OP-ED TODAY, I WON’T
RESIGN, AND HIS REPUBLICAN
COLLEAGUES.
LET’S JUST TALK ABOUT THE OP-ED
FIRST, WHICH WAS A SORT OF
BIZARRE DOCUMENT.
WHAT IS YOUR READ ON WHAT HE’S
DOING IN THIS OP-ED?
>> TO ME, IT LOOKS LIKE HE’S
FOLLOWING THE DONALD TRUMP
PLAYBOOK.
HE’S ABSOLUTELY DEFIANT, HE’S
TRYING TO MUDDY THE WATERS BY
SAYING HE’S THE VICTIM OF AN
EXTORTION SCHEME, AND HE BROUGHT
UP THE FBI PROBE, WHICH IS
SEPARATE TO THE DOJ PROBE.
HE’S BRINGING UP THE MEDIA, THE
SWAMP, THE MERRICK GARLAND
DEPARTMENT, WHILE THE
INVESTIGATION STARTED UNDER
BUILTBILL
BARR.
AND HE’S BRINGING HIMSELF UP,
COMPAREING HIMSELF TO JUSTICE
KAVANAUGH.
BUT IF HE’S INDICTED, HE WILL
HAVE A LOT BIGGER PROBLEMS TO
DEAL WITH.
>> AND THIS LINE CAUGHT OUR EYE.
HE SAYS, YOU’LL SEE MORE DRIP,
DRIP, DRIP OF LEAKS INTO THE
MEDIA.
WHEN YOU SEE THEM, ASK YOURSELF
WHY.
THEY’RE NOT COMING FOR ME,
THEY’RE COMING FOR YOU.
I’M JUST IN THE WAY.
SO PREPPING US FOR MORE STUFF
COMING OUT SEEMS TO ME LIKE A
PERSON THAT IS NOT CONFIDENT
THAT WE’VE PASSED OVER THIS
PORTION OF THE STORY.
>> HE SAID, LISTEN, I’M NOT A
MONK.
I’M NOT PERFECT.
SOME OTHER STATEMENTS THINGS
LIKE, WHILE I’VE CHERISHED MY
PAST RELATIONSHIPS, BUT I’M
READY TO GET MARRIED TO THE LOVE
OF MY LIFE NOW.
HE’S BEING VERY PARTICULAR WITH
HIS WORDING, AND I ASSUME HIS
LAWYER IS TELLING HIM TO SHUT
UP, BUT WHO KNOWS.
BUT I THINK THIS WILL ONLY
CONTINUE TO BE A HUGE PROBLEM
FOR HIM.
AND HE’S UNDER A HUGE MICROSCOP
RIGHT NOW.
>> AND REPORTS OF THE
INVESTIGATION OF A POSSIBILITY
OF HIM HAVING A SEXUAL
RELATIONSHIP WITH A 17-YEAR-OLD,
SAYING I’VE NEVER HAD SEX WITH A
17-YEAR-OLD, THE DENIAL IS A
LITTLE ALARM BELL-Y IN MY HEAD.
>> I THINK IT’S A MIX OF THINGS.
YOU’RE RIGHT, HE DOES NOT HAVE A
LOT OF FRIENDS IN CONGRESS.
THEY VIEW HIM AS A SHOWBOATER,
THEY DON’T TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY.
HE HAS THIS FRAT BOY REPUTATION.
AND HIS DISTRICT IS VERY
CONSERVATIVE, THERE’S NO CONCERN
ABOUT LOSING THAT SEAT IF HE
STEPS DOWN.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, CONGRESS
IS ON RECESS RIGHT NOW.
I DON’T THINK ANYONE WANTS TO BE
THE FIRST ONE IN THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY TO CALL ON HIM TO RESIGN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I AGREE IF THERE
IS AN INDICTMENT THAT COMES
DOWN, LIKE, THE FLOODGATES, NO
PUN INTENDED, WILL OPEN.
>> YOU CAN’T PREDICT THE FUTURE,
BUT DOES THAT SEEM LIKELY TO
YOU?
WHAT IS YOUR SENSE -- I’M HAVING
A HARD TIME PARSING THE LEVEL OF
SERIOUSNESS THAT WE’RE LOOKING
AT HERE FROM A CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATION STANDPOINT.
>> I CAN’T SPEAK TO THE
INVESTIGATION.
CLEARLY, THEY’RE STILL KNOCKING
ON DOORS.
GAETZ’S FORMER STAFFER SAID
TODAY THEY WERE APPROACHED BY
THE FBI LAST WEEK.
THE STAFFER SAID, I DON’T KNOW
ANYTHING ABOUT THE ALLEGATIONS,
AND THEY’RE BASELESS.
WE DON’T KNOW WHAT HIS EXPOSURE
IS, BUT I CONFIRMED WITH TWO
SOURCES THAT HE HAS BEEN SHOWING
OFF NUDE PICTURES AND VIDEOS ON
HIS PHONE TO COLLEAGUES IN
CONGRESS.
ANOTHER SOURCE SHOWED ME A BOX
OF EMPTY CONDOMS IN THE TRASH
BIN OUTSIDE OF HIS OFFICE.
ALL OF HIS BEHAVIOR AS A MEMBER
OF CONGRESS IS COMING UNDER
GREATER SCRUTINY.
I THINK HE HAS A MAJOR PR