- The Washington Times - Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Don Gaetz, the father of Rep. Matt Gaetz, on Wednesday stood behind his son’s claims that he is the victim of an extortion plot by a former Justice Department official.

In an interview with Politico, Don Gaetz said he worked with the FBI and wore a wire on several occasions as part of an investigation. He also implicated David McGee, a former Justice Department official and now a private practice attorney, in the extortion plot.

“The FBI asked me to try and get that information for Matt and an indication that we would transfer money to Mr. David McGee,” Don Gaetz said in the interview.

He did not offer any information about what kind of information he wanted to obtain for his son.

Mr. McGee has denied the accusations, telling The Washington Post the claims are “completely false.”

The elder Mr. Gaetz said he wore a wire during a meeting earlier this month with Mr. McGee and intended to meet one Stephen Alford, whom he claimed was also part of the plot.

Mr. Alford could not be immediately reached for comment.

The interview backs Matt Gaetz’s account after The New York Times reported Tuesday that he was under federal investigation for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl.

Mr. Gaetz, Florida Republican, said Tuesday that a former Justice Department employee was seeking to extort $25 million from his family and the leak to the New York Times was to undercut the FBI’s probe into that effort. He later named Mr. McGee in a Fox News interview.

The younger Mr. Gaetz has vehemently denied that he had a relationship with any 17-year-old girl.

• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.

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