The man that Deputy Matt Gaetz accused of trying to extort millions from his family – and guilty of recent allegations of sexual impropriety – admitted in a bizarre interview on Monday that he asked the Florida Republican’s father to fund an international plot to “rescue “an American citizen widely considered dead in Iran.
Air Force veteran and “research consultant” Bob Kent verified for Sirius Radio personality Michael Smerconish that he approached Gaetz’s father, former Florida Senate President Don Gaetz, last month for a $ loan. 25 million. The funds would rescue the release of Robert Levinson, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent who disappeared in Iran more than a decade ago. Levinson’s own family believes he is dead, but Kent insists he has evidence that Levinson is alive and remains a hostage to the Islamic Republic, although credible experts have rejected his claims.
Kent said he was aware at the time that Matt Gaetz could have “legal problems” and that he suggested that helping with the mission would create “goodwill” for the congressman. Although Kent did not say so openly, these issues appear to be the recently raised allegations that the legislator paid women for sex – possibly including an underage girl – and misused campaign funds.
“Matt Gaetz needs good publicity and I need $ 25 million to save Robert Levinson,” Kent told Smerconish.
Kent described a sequence of unlikely events that, he said, led him to solicit money from Gaetz’s father: namely, that he misinterpreted a “joke” by a federal agent who said the US government would believe the information from Kent on the activities of an Iranian militant if Kent could track Levinson. Kent said his team tried to rescue the US agent last July and that he “lost four people” to Iranian forces.
Despite combining his request for money with an allusion to the congressman’s alleged improprieties, and despite working on the project with Florida serial fraudster Stephen Alford, Kent said he had not attempted to extort the Gaetz clan.
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“I never threatened the man – in fact, it was the other way around: I told him that if he decides not to help us, he will never hear from me again,” said Kent of his meeting with Don Gaetz. “I can’t help what it looks like.”
However, Kent said that Gaetz’s father initially interpreted the opening as an attempt at blackmail. But Kent said the local Republican power broker had become receptive and offered to approach then President Donald Trump with the materials.
Kent said he insisted he was not interested in help from the US government. He claimed he received a warning a week ago from Levinson’s family lawyer David McGee that Don Gaetz would indeed fund his Middle East adventure – only to have the younger Gaetz a day later and claim that the consultant was behind of the reports that the congressman allegedly trafficked a 17-year-old girl.
“Last Monday, I received a call from David saying that Don agreed to finance the project and I will send money for the operation on Tuesday,” said Kent. “So, that night, Congressman Gaetz went on the news.”
In another interview on Monday night with Chris Cuomo of CNN, Kent reiterated that “it was not an attempt at extortion”, but mentioned the possible legal problems of the congressman because “he needs the goodwill of the government”.
Asked why he wrote to the Gaetz family that an accusation was imminent and if he realized it could be an implicit threat, Kent just said “there was no threat” and that he “had nothing to do with the prosecution” or investigation .
Kent also stated that if the congressman really believed he was being extorted, “he could have been quiet and gone to the FBI”, but instead “exposed the Levinson family to additional pain, and he is capitalizing on it and trying to call the attention of yourself. “
He added: “Robert Levinson is a constituent of Matt Gaetz, and you know it. The congressman just worsened Levinson’s situation. If he is alive, he is directly impacting his situation now. “
Cuomo pressured Kent further on the specific details he included in his letter to the Gaetz family, namely Kent’s allegations that the FBI was allegedly aware of compromising photos involving the congressman and underage prostitutes.
“How confident are you in what is said?” Cuomo asked himself out loud.
“So, you can never trust rumors. These are just rumors that are rampant in northern Florida among the legal communities and journalists, “replied Kent, adding,” I have no information on a federal investigation. These were just rumors that were circulating. “
In the end, asked if he was worried about anything he might have said on the tape in conversations with Don Gaetz, Kent insisted he hoped “his father was using a bug.”
Neither his father’s deputy nor his lawyer responded immediately to a request for comment. Like Kent, they denied any wrongdoing.
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