HAPPY MONDAY.
>> HAPPY MONDAY, NICOLLE, THANK
YOU SO MUCH.
I WANT TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO
"THE BEAT."
WE BEGIN WITH BREAKING NEWS IN
THE MATT GAETZ SEX CRIME PROBE.
REPUBLICAN OFFICIAL JOEL
GREENBERG IN COURT TODAY
PLEADING GUILTY TO SIX FEDERAL
CHARGES, INCLUDING SEX
TRAFFICKING OF A TEEN.
THE CONFESSION COMPLETES A SWIFT
FALL FOR THE ONE-TIME LOCAL
REPUBLICAN POWER PLAYER.
HE ENTERED THE ORLANDO COURTROOM
IN A BLUE JUMPSUIT, SHACKLED AT
THE WRISTS AND ANKLES, AFFIRMING
HIS GUILTY PLEAS ON RECORD.
HELL SPEND YEARS IN PRISON BUT
FAR LESS THAN THE MAX THAN
ORIGINALLY FACING IF CONVICTED.
GREENBERG LOOKING PALE AND
SPLOTCHY, TURNING AROUND SEVERAL
TIMES TO LOOK BACK AT THE SMALL
CROWD WHO HAD COME TO WATCH THE
HEARING.
AS "WASHINGTON POST" REPORTERS
DOCUMENTED THAT SCENE TODAY,
WHICH MARKS GREENBERGS LOWEST
POINT.
AND THE FEDS SAY THEY GOT MORE
THAN JUST TODAYS GUILTY PLEAS.
THEY SAY IN COURT, SO QUITE
OFFICIALLY, THEY GOT HIS FULL
COOPERATION TO RECOUNT
EVERYTHING THAT HE KNOWS ABOUT
WHAT IS NOW A CONVICTED SEX
CRIME CONSPIRACY AND THUS TO
HELP IN THE OTHER PROSECUTIONS.
WE KNOW THIS BLOCKBUSTER CASE
LED THE FEDS TO PROBE REPUBLICAN
CONGRESSMAN MATT GAETZ.
HE IS THE MAGA CONGRESSMAN WHO
HAS BEEN FACING INCREASING
SCRUTINY WHILE PUBLICLY FIGHTING
BACK AND ISSUING DENIALS THAT WE
REPORTED ON.
WE KNOW THE FEDS TOOK HIS PHONE.
WE KNOW GREENBERG CLAIMS TO HAVE
EVIDENCE ON GAETZ, ALLEGING HE
PAID FOR SEX WITH MULTIPLE WOMEN
AND A GIRL WHO WAS 17 AT THE
TIME.
THATS IN A LETTER THAT NBC NEWS
HAS NOT VERIFIED.
WE DONT KNOW YET IF THE FEDS
DEEM THOSE ACCUSATIONS
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT GAETZ TO BE
CREDIBLE.
WE DONT KNOW YET, WHATEVER WE
THINK OF THE EMERGING PICTURE, I
HAVE TO GIVE YOU THE PRECISE
LEGAL SCENARIO AS IT STANDS, WE
JUST DONT KNOW YET IF THE FEDS
THINK THAT TYPE OF STUFF, THE
LETTER OR INFORMATION PURSUANT
TO IT COULD BE USED TO ACTUALLY
INDICT GAETZ.
WHATEVER GREENBERGS TEAM THINKS
ON THIS MOMENTOUS DAY IN THIS
VOLATILE CASE, GREENBERGS
LAWYER WAS NOT SAYING MUCH.
>> MR. GREENBERG HAS PLED GUILTY
PURSUANT TO A PLEA AGREEMENT.
IT HAS CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS AND
OBLIGATIONS ON HIM.
HE INTENDS TO HONOR THAT.
>> OTHERS ARE TALKING MORE,
THOUGH.
TWO WITNESSES REPORTEDLY ACCUSE
GAETZ OF DOING COCAINE WITH AN
ESCORT HE MET THROUGH GREENBERG
IN ORLANDO IN 2019.
AND IN A BRAZEN MOVE THAT GAETZ
MIGHT APPRECIATE FOR POLITICAL
THEATER IF IT WERE ABOUT SOMEONE
ELSE, OUTSIDE THE COURT FLYING
THIS PLANE WITH THAT BANNER,
TICK TOCK MATT GAETZ.
IT IS NOT A SOCIAL MEDIA
REFERENCE.
ITS A DARK, PURELY SPECULATIVE
WARNING THAT MR. GAETZ WOULD BE
NEXT ACCORDING TO WHOEVER WAS
FLYING THE BANNER.
GREENBERGS LAWYER DID NOT
AFFIRM WHAT MAY COME NEXT.
>> WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR OTHER
PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT NAMED
SPECIFICALLY IN THE PLEA DEAL
BUT ARE MENTIONED?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, YOULL JUST
HAVE TO DRAW YOUR OWN
CONCLUSIONS ON THAT.
>> WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR MATT
GAETZ?
>> PARDON?
>> WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR MATT
GAETZ?
>> YOULL HAVE TO ASK HIS
ATTORNEYS ON THAT.
>> JOINING ME NOW IS NYU LAW
PROFESSOR MELISSA MURRAY AND.
PROFESSOR, THESE ARE VERY
SERIOUS FELONIES, THERE IS NOW
NO LEGAL DOUBT ABOUT THEM.
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE NOW
CONVICTED DEFENDANT, GREENBERG,
CAME TO THIS AGREEMENT.
HE PLED GUILTY IN OPEN COURT.
WHAT DOES TODAY MEAN?
>> SO WE KNOW THAT MR. GREENBERG
IS IN SERIOUS JEOPARDY.
HE WAS EXPOSED TO 33 DIFFERENT
CHARGES AND HES PLEADED GUILTY
TO SIX OF THEM.
THAT SUGGESTS THAT THERE WILL BE
A COOPERATION REQUIREMENT FOR
HIM.
HELL HAVE TO PROVIDE
SUBSTANTIAL INFORMATION FOR THE
INVESTIGATED AREAS AT THIS POINT
IN TIME SO ITS A BIG TIME FOR
HIM TO DO THIS.
HES GOING TO BE WORKING WITH
THE PROSECUTORS AND LIKELY NOT
GOING TO BE SENTENCED ANY TIME
SOON.
TYPICALLY THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE
THE COOPERATION GO FORWARD AND
HAVE THE INDIVIDUAL COOPERATE AS
FULLY AS POSSIBLE SO IT MAY BE A
LONG TIME BEFORE WE ACTUALLY SEE
THE SENTENCE AND THAT MEANS HE
MAY HAVE A LOT TO SAY TO
PROSECUTORS.
>> ERIN, IM GOING TO BRING YOU
IN AND I HAVE TO DO A LITTLE BIT
OF TECHNICAL HOUSEKEEPING, WHICH
IS I HOPE PEOPLE COULD HEAR THE
PROFESSOR BUT I COULDNT SO IM
JUST MENTIONING THAT IN TERMS OF
TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
SO I CANT RESPOND TO ANYTHING
THAT WAS SAID AND I JUST WANT TO
BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT THAT.
BUT GO AHEAD, ERIN.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, AS THE
PROFESSOR MENTIONED, THESE
CRIMES ARE VERY SERIOUS.
I READ THROUGH THE ENTIRE PLEA
DEAL TODAY AND IT REALLY FEELS
LIKE IF IT WERE A FAST FOOD
VALUE MEAL, IT WOULD BE CALLED
THE SCUM BAG SPECIAL.
GREENBERG HAS PLED GUILTY TO
EVERYTHING FROM STALKING TO
IDENTITY THEFT.
HE STOLE THE I.D. OF A GUY WHO
SOLD HIM A BOAT IN ADDITION TO
ALL THE SEX CRIME STUFF.
HE STOLE OTHER PEOPLES I.D.s IN
ORDER TO PERFORM HIS SEX
TRAFFICKING TYPE BEHAVIOR.
BUT I THINK ALL OF THIS STUFF
BRINGS INTO RELIEF JUST WHAT A
HOT MESS THE CURRENT HOUSE GOP
CAUCUS IS.
MATT GAETZ STILL SITS ON THE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
HE HAS NOT BEEN DISCIPLINED IN A
REAL WAY WHILE HES IN THE MIDST
OF THIS HUGE INVESTIGATION AND
IT LOOKS LIKE THE CLOCK IS
TICKING FOR HIM.
EVERY WEEK IT SEEMS LIKE WE
CYCLE THROUGH ANOTHER HOUSE
REPUBLICAN WHO LEADS THE KIND OF
SCUMBAG POWER RANKINGS IN THE
HOUSE AND NOTHING IS DONE ABOUT
THEM.
AND SO THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE
IN FLORIDA POLITICS.
THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE ALSO FOR
THE SOUL OF THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY.
>> YEAH, AND YOU MENTIONED HOW
THIS IS PLAYING MORE WIDELY AND
JUST WHAT THE TOLERANCE LEVEL IS
AMONG REPUBLICANS.
GAETZ HAS BEEN OUT THERE IF
ANYTHING PLAYING THE ROLE IF HE
BELIEVES IT OR NOT OF SOME KIND
OF ENFORCER.
HERE HE WAS JUST OVER THE
WEEKEND.
>> I AM BEING FALSELY ACCUSED OF
EXCHANGING MONEY FOR NAUGHTY
FAVORS, YET CONGRESS HAS
REINSTITUTED A PROCESS THAT
LEGALIZES THE CORRUPT ACT OF
EXCHANGING MONEY FOR FAVORS
THROUGH EARMARKS.
>> ERIN AND THEN PROFESSOR
MURRAY, THIS IS SORT OF AN
ATTEMPT BY HIM TO PUT THIS IN A
WIDER CONTEXT OF HIM ACCUSING
OTHERS OF THINGS OR MAKING SOME
SORT OF FALSE EQUIVALENTS.
BUT AS YOU MENTION, ERIN, THIS
IS NOT SOMEONE DESPITE FACING A
SECOND ETHICS INVESTIGATION IS
YET BEING DEALT WITH IN ANY
PARTICULAR WAY BY THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY.
>> YEAH, AND I ALSO THINK HIS
USE OF THE PHRASE "NAUGHTY
FAVORS" IS VERY DISMISSIVE.
THE GREENBERG CASE IS A SERIOUS
CASE OF SERIOUS CORRUPTION.
THERES A LOT OF MONEY THAT WAS
MOVED UNDER FALSE PRETENSES THAT
WASNT HIS TO MOVE.
GREENBERG ADMITTED TO USING
MONEY THAT HE BASICALLY STOLE
FROM THE COFFERS TO BUY BITCOIN,
WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WAS ALSO
USED TO ALLEGEDLY FACILITATE
SOME OF THIS SEX TRAFFICKING.
THIS IS SERIOUS STUFF.
THIS IS NOT NAUGHTY FAVORS.
THIS IS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL WHO
IS ADMITTING TO COMPLETELY
ABUSING HIS OFFICE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE ALLEGATIONS
THAT ARE OUT IN PUBLIC APPEAR
THAT GAETZ WAS IN ONE WAY OR
ANOTHER INVOLVED.
>> PROFESSOR?
>> WELL, ITS IMPORTANT TO
RECOGNIZE THAT REPRESENTATIVE
GAETZ HAS NOT BEEN FORMALLY
CHARGED WITH ANYTHING.
THE INVESTIGATION IS STILL
ONGOING AND CERTAINLY MR.
GREENBERGS COOPERATION WILL BE
IMPORTANT IN THAT.
BUT AS ERIN SUGGESTS, THE OPTICS
OF THIS ARE NOT TERRIFIC FOR
ANYONE WHO IS INVOLVED.
AND AGAIN, IT IS WORTH THINKING
ABOUT WHAT WEVE SEEN OVER THE
COURSE OF THE WEEKEND FROM THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY.
WEVE SEEN LIZ CHENEY, ONE OF
THE FEW WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP IN
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, OUSTED
FROM HER SEAT FOR SIMPLY
REGISTERING SOME SKEPTICISM
ABOUT THE PROSPECT OF THE BIG
LIE AND THE NEED FOR AN
INSURRECTION ON JANUARY 6th.
HERE WE HAVE QUITE SIGNIFICANT
ALLEGATIONS THAT MAY LATER LEAD
TO CHARGES, WE DONT KNOW, BUT
QUITE SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS THAT