The best thing anyone who is under investigation for a federal crime can do is keep their head down and mouth shut, especially if they’re facing the prospect of spending the rest of their life in prison.
So it’s safe to say that attorneys for Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) are probably pulling out their hair after the Florida congressman gave an extensive interview to Pensacola television station WEAR in which he commented on the accusations of sexual trafficking that have been leveled against him.
Regarding a report that he had traveled to the Bahamas with a lobbyist and his connections to Jeffrey Greenberg, the former Florida tax collector who has pled guilty to sex trafficking and other felonies, Gaetz remarked:
“I’ve never been to the Bahamas with a lobbyist. That’s not accurate. I was on a trip as many Floridians do to go to the Bahamas. Nothing about that’s criminal. I didn’t do anything criminal while I was there.”
“As for the optics going to a tax collectors office, I’ve never used the tax collectors office in Seminole County or anywhere else for anything improper. I believe there may have been a time where Greenberg swung by the office but it certainly didn’t have anything to do with any bad acts on my part.”
Gaetz also insisted that he’s no longer friends with Greenberg, who is cooperating with prosecutors investigating the congressman:
“When I became aware of some of Greenberg’s misdeeds, I deeply regretted my friendship with him,” he explained. “I do believe that it’s fair for the people of northwest Florida to judge me based on the associations that I’ve had. And I deeply regret my association with Joel Greenberg politically, socially and otherwise.
“But when folks evaluate that, I hope they evaluate it alongside the good work that I’ve done to advance our military mission, to fight for our values and to be a representative in Congress who never fears the battle and is always in the arena for these great folks.”
Every word that Gaetz said during that interview can now be used against him in a court of law to impeach his credibility and prove that he has absolutely no regrets about what he’s allegedly done with underage girls.
Matt Gaetz just made it even more certain that he’s going to be charged, convicted, and sent away for a very long time.
