Matt Gaetz under investigation for sexual misconduct

In what Tucker Carlson called "one of the weirdest interviews" he's ever conducted, Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz reacted on "Tucker Carlson Tonight" to a report from the New York Times that broke late Tuesday afternoon alleging Gaetz is the subject of a federal sex trafficking investigation involving a then-17-year-old girl. The Times cited three anonymous sources "briefed on the matter," which alleges that the 38-year-old had a relationship with the girl and paid for her travel at one point. The Pensacola lawmaker pushed back strongly against the allegations, saying that he is the victim of "extortion" involving an ex-Justice Department official seeking a $25 million payoff. Gaetz told Carlson in an exclusive TV interview that the Times story was leaked in order to "quell" what the lawmaker claimed would be a planned $25 million payoff on Wednesday that would implicate this former official. "What was supposed to happen was the transfer of this money that would have implicated the former colleague of these current DOJ officials. But that's obviously not going to happen tomorrow because [of the leak]," Gaetz said.