The man accused of trying to extort $ 25 million from Rep. Matt Gaetz’s family admitted Monday that he asked the congressman’s father for money, but denied it was a shakedown.
Bob Kent, a former Air Force intelligence officer, confirmed to Sirius radio presenter Michael Smerconish that last month he addressed the father of Florida Republican Don Gaetz.
The funds, Kent said, were to pay for an effort to free Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran in 2007 and is believed to be dead. Kent claimed he has video evidence that Levinson is still alive and being taken hostage.
Kent said he met Don Gaetz, a wealthy Florida politician in his office on March 17, and told him his son had “legal issues” and could “generate goodwill” by helping in the effort. rescue.
“I explained that I am in no way trying to extort him and that if he decides not to help us, he will never hear from me,” Kent told Smerconish.
“Matt Gaetz needs good publicity and I need $ 25 million to save Robert Levinson,” he added.
Kent insisted that his intention was not to blackmail the Gaetz family.
“I never threatened the man; in fact, it was the opposite. I told him that if he decides not to help us, he will never hear from me again,” Kent said, adding, “I can’t help but sound. “.
Documents obtained by the Washington Examiner, however, showed how Kent allegedly texted Don Gaetz saying he had a plan that could make his son’s future legal and political problems disappear.
Kent also gave Don a document called “Project Homecoming” detailing the alleged federal investigation against Matt Gaetz and claiming that the FBI had photos of the lawmaker in a “sexual orgy with underage prostitutes.”
“Our strategy for Congressman Gaetz to mitigate his legal and political problems would be for him or someone else to have the necessary funds to secure Robert Levinson’s immediate release from captivity in Iran,” the document stated.
Kent said the document was prepared by Stephen Alford, a Florida developer who had previously been accused of fraud.
The transfer of funds, Kent said, would have been all “superior to the board,” as the cash would be directed through David McGee, a former federal prosecutor who has been a lawyer for the Levinson family.
Don Gaetz contacted the FBI about the proposal and the agency is investigating whether it constitutes an extortion attempt against the Gaetz clan, the Washington Post reported last week.
Kent said he has been interviewed by the FBI and is cooperating.
It is unclear how Kent and his cohorts knew that Matt Gaetz, 38, was being investigated by the Justice Department.
The New York Times reported last week that the Justice Department was studying whether Gaetz paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl and lured her into traveling, which would violate federal sex trafficking laws.
After the report broke, Gaetz publicly linked the investigation to what he claimed was an attempted extortion against his family by McGee.
The former Justice Department official said Gaetz’s accusation was false and told the Washington Post, “It’s a blatant attempt to distract him from being investigated for child sex trafficking.”
Research on Gaetz is also said to focus on whether the congressman paid to have sex with several women recruited online.
He has denied the allegations.