Fox News
- Fox News is ignoring reports that GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz is under FBI investigation for sex trafficking.
- Since Wednesday evening, media watchdogs report, the network hasn't mentioned Gaetz's name a single time.
- Gaetz is a frequent Fox guest and top Trump defender.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Fox News is ignoring perhaps the most shocking story in US politics this week.
On Tuesday night, The New York Times broke the news that Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican and frequent Fox News guest, is under FBI investigation over whether he had sex with a 17-year-old girl and violated federal sex trafficking laws. Gaetz has not been charged in connection to the investigation.
Soon after the story broke, Gaetz appeared on Fox host Tucker Carlson's show to defend himself against what he called "false sex allegations," which he claimed were part of a larger extortion plot targeting his family. Afterwards, Carlson told his audience the conversation was "one of the weirdest interviews I've ever conducted."
Since then, news outlets have reported a series of additional bombshell allegations about Gaetz's misconduct. On Thursday, CNN reported that Gaetz had shown nude photos and videos of women he claimed he'd had sex with to fellow lawmakers.
On Thursday night, The Times published another bombshell report in which it detailed how Gaetz and his associate, a Florida politician who's been indicted on federal sex trafficking and other charges, allegedly recruited and paid women for sex and used drugs. On Friday, a longtime aide Gaetz aide, communications director Luke Ball, resigned.
Since Wednesday evening, media watchdogs report, the network hasn't mentioned Gaetz's name a single time as of midday on Friday.
A spokesperson for Fox declined to comment on the record.
Since the scandal broke, Fox has publicly distanced itself from Gaetz. A network spokesperson denied the congressman's recent claim that he'd discussed a potential job with Fox after leaving office.
"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 spokesperson told multiple media outlets.