News : POLITICO Florida Playbook: Gaetzgate: Reported probe leads to denials and details of extortion plot — Brandes excluded from bill-signing ceremony

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

POLITICO Florida Playbook: Gaetzgate: Reported probe leads to denials and details of extortion plot — Brandes excluded from bill-signing ceremony — The tangled tale of Sheriff Tony

Mar 31, 2021

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Hello and welcome to Wednesday.

The daily rundown — Between Monday and Tuesday, the number of Florida coronavirus cases increased by 5,062 (0.2 percent), to 2,052,441; active hospitalizations rose 6 (0.2 percent) to 2,931; deaths of Florida residents rose by 91 (nearly 0.3 percent) to 33,338; 5,761,310 Floridians have received at least one dose of a vaccine.

That didn't take long — Nearly a week ago, in a somewhat prescient (or anticipatory) moment, Rep. Matt Gaetz joked that if he was involved in a scandal it should be called "Gaetzgate."

Well, here we are — Over the course of a few hours on Tuesday, one of the more bizarre sagas in Florida political history unfolded. It began with a New York Times story that said the Panhandle Republican was under investigation for an alleged relationship with a 17-year-old and whether he paid to have her travel over state lines.

The denials — Instead of going into a bunker, the outspoken ally to both former President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis took to Twitter and Fox News Channel, where he strongly denied the allegations and said that his family was the target of an elaborate smear campaign and extortion plot involving a former Department of Justice official who now works for a Northwest Florida law firm. Gaetz (who is an attorney himself) said that earlier this month that his father — former state Senate President Don Gaetz — wore a wire as part of the investigation into the extortion plot.

Where does this go? — Who really knows? Gaetz was a fixture in Tallahassee, along with his father, and he has his fair share of detractors in both parties. Any investigation of his activities could reach across the state. As an unabashed Trump cheerleader, Gaetz became an outsized presence on conservative and social media and knows how to get publicity. His tight relationship with DeSantis led to Gaetz playing a key role in the transition and recommending people for the governor to consider for important positions — although there were signs that the alliance is not as strong as it was when the governor took office in 2019.

The domino effect — Regardless of what happens with this there is also the question of whether Gaetz's political career is coming to an end or at least undergo a big change. During an interview with the Times, Gaetz said that he had no plans to resign from his congressional seat. But this week, back in his district, he suggested that he may only serve six years in office — which would put his seat in play for the 2022 elections. Such a move would create a cascading effect in northwest Florida — much like it did back in 2016 when then-Rep. Jeff Miller announced he would not seek reelection. Gaetz had been considering a state Senate run and instead shifted to Congress. The seat covers a wide swath of northwest Florida, and it seems unlikely to undergo major revisions during redistricting.

Statewide run? — A few weeks ago Gaetz had been speculating online about a possible run for state agriculture commissioner. Playbook PM reported on Tuesday (before everything else broke) that "an ally of Gaetz paid pollster RYAN TYSON to test the appetite of voters for Gaetz (or Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson) for state commissioner of agriculture in his home state." So there's that…stay tuned.

— WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official announced for Gov. DeSantis.

Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: gfineout@politico.com

DATELINE D.C.

'IT IS VERIFIABLY FALSE' — "Rep. Matt Gaetz denies relationship with minor," by POLITICO's Benjamin Din and Matt Dixon: Rep. Matt Gaetz on Tuesday denied allegations against him about a relationship with an underage teenager, after a report said the Justice Department was investigating the matter. "It is verifiably false that I've traveled with a 17 year old woman," the Florida Republican told POLITICO in a text message. "These are lines rooted in extortion, coordinated by a former DOJ official."

Pushing back — In the evening, Gaetz, 38, took to Twitter and Fox News to defend himself against a report about an investigation into an alleged sexual relationship with a minor whom he might have traveled across state lines with. In a series of tweets, Gaetz said he and his family were the victims of an extortion scheme. The congressmember provided POLITICO with a series of documents that he said supported his allegation of extortion, but none could be immediately verified.

Confusing — In an interview with Tucker Carlson on Fox News, Gaetz said that the 17-year-old "doesn't exist" and that his father was supposed to pay a $4.5 million down payment to the former Justice Department official — whom he named on the show — on Wednesday to make the allegations "go away." But as Gaetz explained the complex extortion plot, which he said included nonexistent pictures of him with child prostitutes, even Carlson seemed to be confused, especially over the sex trafficking charge that the congressman flatly denied.

Here's the Fox News interview Tucker Carlson called one of the "weirdest I ever have conducted."

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., speaks during a television interview during a break in the House Judiciary Committee markup of the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019

Here's what started it all — "Matt Gaetz is said to face Justice Dept. inquiry over sex with underage girl," by New York Times' Michael S. Schimdt, Katie Benner and Nicholas Fandos: "Representative Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida and a close ally of former President Donald J. Trump, is being investigated by the Justice Department over whether he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paid for her to travel with him, according to three people briefed on the matter. Investigators are examining whether Mr. Gaetz violated federal sex trafficking laws, the people said. A variety of federal statutes make it illegal to induce someone under 18 to travel over state lines to engage in sex in exchange for money or something of value."

And it's linked to this — "The three people said that the examination of Mr. Gaetz, 38, is part of a broader investigation into a political ally of his, a local official in Florida named Joel Greenberg, who was indicted last summer on an array of charges, including sex trafficking of a child and financially supporting people in exchange for sex, at least one of whom was an underage girl."

The Central Florida connection — "Who is Joel Greenberg? Former tax collector linked to U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz steeped in controversy before criminal charges," by Orlando Sentinel's David Harris: "Former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg — who resigned on June 24, the day after he was arrested at his home by federal agents — currently faces 14 federal charges, including allegations that he stalked a political opponent, illegally used a state database to create fake IDs and sex-trafficked a minor."

The Gaetz drama also triggered this January 2020 story back into spotlight — "State Rep accuses U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz of inventing sex game," by Sun Sentinel's Dan Sweeney

And there was this before the NYT story broke — " Scoop: Matt Gaetz eyes early retirement to take job at Newsmax," by Axios' Alayna Treene

Gaetz earlier alluded to not staying in Congress much longer — "Matt Gaetz tells 'Boggy Boy' tells Niceville audience his time in Washington is nearing an end," by Northwest Florida Daily News' Tom McLaughlin

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... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...

MISSING — The Monday signing ceremony for legislation that shields businesses from Covid-19 liabilities had a little bit of everything, including a band playing old rock tunes to Gov. Ron DeSantis sparring with the media. You know what it didn't have? A main sponsor of the bill.

Didn't you get the memo? — State Sen. Jeff Brandes was not at the ceremony, and word is that it wasn't an accident. Brandes, as noted in recent stories, has publicly expressed his displeasure at some procedural moves and the Senate's proposed criminal justice budget. And the St. Petersburg Republican took veiled shots at state Senate President Wilton Simpson over a $150 million cut that would shutter four prisons.

The quiet touch — Sources told Playbook that it was Simpson who made the decision to shut out Brandes from the bill signing event. (The two main state House members who also worked on the legislation were there.) When asked about the apparent snub, Brandes declined to answer questions about what happened. He did say he appreciated DeSantis signing the measure. A spokeswoman for Simpson said in an email that the president had no response to questions about Brandes' absence.

PUSHING BACK — "DeSantis disputes that Florida flagged unemployment claims by expectant mothers," by Tampa Bay Times' Lawrence Mower: "Gov. Ron DeSantis is refusing to say why the state's unemployment agency is denying benefits to Floridians who were pregnant, sick from COVID-19 or caring for children at home. "I don't trust the premise of the question," DeSantis told a Herald/Times reporter during a Monday news conference. "It's not something I'm going to accept at face value." When asked to elaborate, his spokeswoman, Meredith Beatrice, said the premise that the state was denying benefits was "false, inaccurate, and intentionally misleading to the public."

'OUR BASIC VALUES ARE UP FOR DEBATE'— "Debate brews in Florida about parental consent over sex ed," by Associated Press' Bobby Caina Calvan: "Culture-war politics over sex education could again erupt in Florida's statehouse, as a Senate Committee advanced a measure Tuesday that would require public school boards to hold hearings on what should be included in sex education curricula. The move sets up a potential clash with a House bill that seeks to require school districts to first get parental permission before a student can be taught about human reproduction and its consequences."

TALLAHASSEE MAGIC — " Bill pitched by lobbyist puts Hertz in line for $2.3 million tax cut from the Florida Legislature," by Orlando Sentinel's Gray Rohrer: "The Hertz rental car company is poised to save $2.3 million in taxes under a bill that passed a Senate committee Monday, even as the chamber is poised to pass a budget that includes large cuts to hospitals and universities. Records obtained by the Orlando Sentinel show an aide to Hertz lobbyist Will McKinley pitched the idea for the bill to Senate Majority Leader Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, on Jan. 21."

'A CLEAR MESSAGE' — "Florida Senate mulls standardized testing changes, shield universities from pandemic lawsuits," by Miami Herald's Ana Ceballos: "Senate leaders on Tuesday advanced a wide-ranging proposal that is opening up a new legal and school accountability debate over how to deal with the fallout of COVID-19 in Florida's education system. The Senate Education Committee is proposing legislation that would shield universities from lawsuits seeking a return of tuition and fees. It also would cancel the consequences of spring academic testing and allow some parents to have their kids repeat a grade to recover from learning losses experienced during the pandemic."

— " DeSantis announces new chief science officer, highlights funding for Everglades work," by Miami Herald's Samantha J. Gross

— "Black lawmakers push scholarships for descendants of 1920 Ocoee riot victims, but will there be funds?" by Florida Phoenix's Isaac Morgan

JOIN THE CONVERSATION, SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" Power dynamics are shifting in Washington, and more people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. "The Recast" is a new twice-weekly newsletter that breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics, policy and power in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear from new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out on our latest newsletter, SUBSCRIBE NOW. Thank you to our sponsor, Intel.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

NOT A RINGING ENDORSEMENT — "What would ban on vaccine passports in Florida mean for businesses, theme parks?" by WESH: "After speaking with local small business owners in Osceola County, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said he's not sure government should be telling business owners what to do. 'You know on the one hand you have property rights and that is, private business rights to decide the conditions by which people can come in or not come in,' Rubio said. 'On the flip side of it of course there are concerns about civil liberties.' Some of the business owners who spoke with WESH 2 News said they're not sure a ban on vaccine passports is needed."

BOOSTED — "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis diverting state COVID vaccine supply to FEMA sites," by Tallahassee Democrat's Jeffrey Schweers: "The state stopped this week's shipment of COVID-19 vaccine shots to nearly four dozen county and local sites, Department of Health records show — the same week Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he would extend the life of four federal vaccination sites. On Monday, DeSantis ordered the state's Division of Emergency Management and Health department to redistribute part of the state's allocation to four Federal Emergency Management Agency sites in Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa and Orlando to keep them running past their deadline."

TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP

STILL MORE — "Proud Boys member, married to Orange deputy, accused of participating in U.S. Capitol riot," by Orlando Sentinel's Cristobal Reyes and Jeff Weiner: "A member of the far-right Proud Boys group — and husband of an Orange County deputy sheriff — was arrested on federal charges Tuesday, accused of illegally entering the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot that left five people dead. An affidavit said 30-year-old Arthur Jackman, who at one point reportedly served as vice president of the Central Florida Proud Boys, was photographed among various other Proud Boys members outside and inside the Capitol during the attempted insurrection. His arrest brings the number of Floridians so far charged in the attack to at least 31."

PENINSULA AND BEYOND

DEEP DIVE — "Investigation: Lies and omissions helped propel Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony to the top," by Sun Sentinel's Brittany Wallman, Lisa J. Huriash and Megan O'Matz: "Yet [Sheriff Gregory] Tony's biggest lie — hiding the fact that he shot a man dead when he was 14 — wasn't his only one. From his football prospects to his drug use to his political achievements, Tony has stretched the truth time and again. The South Florida Sun Sentinel dug into public records, court proceedings, old newspaper clippings and social media postings to compare Tony's claims with the available facts. Presented with the Sun Sentinel's findings, the sheriff declined to comment. In past interviews, Tony, 42, has questioned why he would be expected to disclose a 'trauma' that he survived as a youth, and suggested that if he did so, he'd forever be seen as 'a 14-year-old Black kid with a gun.'"

— "Amid spring break uproar, Miami Beach mayor proposes 2 a.m. South Beach alcohol cutoff," by Miami Herald's Martin Vassolo

JOIN PLAYBOOK FOR A CONVERSATION WITH RON KLAIN ON THURSDAY : The Biden administration is full speed ahead with an ambitious vaccination timeline, the deployment of $1.9 trillion in pandemic relief, and a multitrillion dollar infrastructure plan. But the White House is also dealing with a mounting crisis at the border, the aftermath of back-to-back mass shootings, and a looming showdown over the Senate filibuster. Join Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza for a conversation with White House chief of staff Ron Klain to discuss Biden's agenda in the coming months and how the administration plans to address the challenges facing the nation. REGISTER HERE.

ODDS, ENDS, AND FLORIDA MEN

— "Janitor gets 20 years for camera in girls' locker room," by Associated Press: " A former janitor at a Florida high school has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for hiding a camera in a girls' locker room. Jason Brian Goff, 45, of Starke, was sentenced last week in Jacksonville federal court, according to court records. He pleaded guilty in September to attempted production of child pornography. According to a plea agreement, two 14-year-old girls reported a suspected camera in August 2019 at Clay High School in Green Cove Springs. Officials found a cell phone taped to the inside wall of an unassigned locker."

BIRTHDAYS: State Rep. Dana Trabulsy

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