'I am a Florida man': Matt Gaetz denies accountability for mounting scandals then blames the 'deep state'
On Saturday, Axios reported that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) continues to take a defiant stance as the scandal-plagued congressman begins his "America First" tour with far-right conspiracy theorist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).
"I'm a marked man in Congress. I'm a canceled man in some corners of the Internet. I might be a wanted man by the deep state. But I am a Florida man, and it is good to be home," said Gaetz at the first of his rallies. "Today, we send a strong message to the weak establishment in both parties: America First isn't going away. We're going on tour."
Gaetz, a prominent member of the congressional pro-Trump wing, is under federal investigation as part of a child trafficking probe, facing allegations that he and indicted former Florida county tax official Joel Greenberg paid a 17-year-old girl to travel over state lines for sex — something Greenberg has implicated Gaetz in in a confession letter while cooperating with authorities. Also part of the investigation is whether Gaetz used drugs or campaign cash to facilitate these transactions. Gaetz has not currently been charged with any federal crime, and denies any wrongdoing.
Despite the support from Greene, the Republican Party has done little to circle the wagons around him, often dodging questions about the matter entirely.