The conservative news outlet Newsmax turned down Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz’s request for a job amid a federal investigation, Reuters reports.
A Newsmax spokesperson told the outlet that Gaetz reached out earlier this year for a job around the time that news outlets reported that Gaetz was under a federal investigation into potential sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl.
"Earlier this year, (Gaetz) reached out and said he might leave Congress early and was interested in TV work." a source told Reuters, adding that it was “just a conversation” and Newsmax “never told him we were interested.”
"Newsmax has had no plans to hire Rep. Gaetz," spokesman Brian Peterson told the outlet.
Gaetz has not been charged and has denied any wrongdoing.
Gaetz planned to retire:
Axios reported back in March that Gaetz privately told associates he was seriously considering an early retirement from Congress for a job at Newsmax.
Gaetz has told allies that he is “interested in becoming a media personality,” according to the report.
The report said that Gaetz had early discussions about “what a position could look like.”
The following month, Fox News also said it has no plans to hire Gaetz.
“No one with any level of authority has had conversations with Matt Gaetz for any of our platforms, and we have no interest in hiring him,” the network said in a statement at the time.
Associate pleaded guilty to sex trafficking:
The discussions came amid the federal investigation.
Gaetz’s associate Joel Greenberg, a former Florida tax official, pleaded guilty last month to multiple federal charges, including child sex trafficking.
Greenberg pleaded guilty to six charges after he was indicted on 33 charges, including identity theft, fraud, and bribery.
Greenberg has reportedly provided information to investigators on how he and Gaetz gave cash and gifts to young women for sex.
"Does my client have information that could hurt an elected official?” his attorney Fritz Scheller told reporters. “I guess this is must-see television. You'll just have to wait and see.”
