Matt Gaetz: Child Prostitution Was an "Israeli Op" | NEW DETAILS

Former congressman Matt Gaetz alleged Tuesday that accusations of prostitution, illicit drug use, and sexual misconduct with a minor were part of a foreign influence and extortion effort connected to Israel, claims he made during a lengthy interview with Tucker Carlson.

Gaetz forcefully denied the allegations outlined in a 2024 House Ethics Committee report, which concluded there was substantial evidence that he had engaged in prostitution, statutory rape, and drug use. He argued that the accusations were never presented in any forum where he could confront witnesses, review evidence, or conduct cross-examinations, insisting that this alone demonstrated their falsity.

“No one has ever accused me in a place where I’m allowed to defend myself,” Gaetz said. “That’s how you know it was an operation.”

Gaetz claimed the episode began after news broke that the Department of Justice was investigating him, an inquiry that ultimately ended without charges. He said his family was then targeted by an extortion scheme that he believes involved individuals tied to the Israeli government.

According to Gaetz, his father was approached by a man claiming to possess images of Gaetz with underage prostitutes. The individual allegedly demanded $25 million, telling the family the money would be used to help rescue a U.S. intelligence asset purportedly held in Iran and that the allegations against Gaetz would disappear if the payment was made. Gaetz said his family immediately contacted the FBI.

The man who conveyed the demand, Florida resident Stephen Alford, later pleaded guilty to attempting to defraud Gaetz’s father. Gaetz said the extortion effort nonetheless raised deeper concerns because, he claims, another individual involved was working at the time as a contractor for the Israeli consulate.

Gaetz specifically named Jake Novak, now a media figure, alleging Novak played a role in communicating aspects of the scheme, including messages to cartoonist Scott Adams referencing the expected payment. Novak has denied extorting Gaetz or his family, stating he never met Alford, had no involvement in any fraud, and did not participate in a shakedown. Novak said his contact with Adams was related to separate efforts involving a detained American abroad.

Gaetz said he was troubled that, in his view, the Israeli government’s potential involvement was never fully examined. “Someone getting paid by a foreign government was involved in a criminal shakedown of a U.S. congressman,” he said. “That should have been investigated.”

Gaetz argued that the alleged operation was retaliation for his foreign policy positions, particularly his opposition to U.S. military entanglements in the Middle East. Representing one of the most military-heavy districts in the country, Gaetz said he grew increasingly critical of wars he viewed as unworthy of the costs paid by service members and their families.

He described what he called a pattern of outreach followed by pressure, saying he had been offered paid trips and speaking opportunities in Israel, which he declined. He suggested that criticism followed when he did not align politically.

Despite his accusations, Gaetz said he still considers himself pro-Israel but sharply critical of the Netanyahu government, arguing that its policies are damaging Israel’s long-term security and standing. He rejected the idea that such criticism constitutes antisemitism.

“You can criticize a country’s government without hating the people or the religion,” Gaetz said, arguing that definitions of antisemitism have been expanded to silence dissent rather than confront genuine hatred.

Gaetz has never been criminally charged in connection with the allegations. The Justice Department declined to prosecute him in 2023. His former associate Joel Greenberg pleaded guilty in 2021 to sex trafficking a minor and other offenses, a fact frequently cited by Gaetz’s critics. Gaetz maintains that Greenberg’s crimes were used to smear him through association rather than evidence.

The House Ethics Committee report remains a political flashpoint, but Gaetz insists the story at its core is not about misconduct, but about power, foreign influence, and the use of accusation as a political weapon.