RUSH TRANSCRIPT The New ░░░░░░░░ Times and Katie Phang ░░░░░░░░ legal contributor The kaies ░░░░░░░░ here for us tonight ░░░░░░░░ m going to start ░░░░░░░░ Katie Benner Let s ░░░░░░░░ about this These two ░░░░░░░░ Greenberg and Mr Gaetz ░░░░░░░░ shared girlfriends at least ░░░░░░░░ Gaetz called him his ░░░░░░░░ Three Greenberg friends told ░░░░░░░░ that they personally heard ░░░░░░░░ boast about his 2017 ░░░░░░░░ with a then 17 ░░░░░░░░ old they claim went ░░░░░░░░ to work in pornography ░░░░░░░░ s pretty seamy How ░░░░░░░░ trouble does it appear ░░░░░░░░ Mr Gaetz might be ░░░░░░░░ because if Mr Greenberg ░░░░░░░░ he s going to ░░░░░░░░ talking about him I ░░░░░░░░ one of the big ░░░░░░░░ for Mr Gaetz is ░░░░░░░░ or not Joel Greenberg ░░░░░░░░ investigators information about that ░░░░░░░░ year old girl you ░░░░░░░░ We ve heard allegations ░░░░░░░░ both men had sex ░░░░░░░░ her and that you ░░░░░░░░ she was given free ░░░░░░░░ Basically if you give ░░░░░░░░ underage person anything of ░░░░░░░░ it is considered child ░░░░░░░░ trafficking under the law ░░░░░░░░ comes with a mandatory ░░░░░░░░ years in prison And ░░░░░░░░ to the extent that ░░░░░░░░ Greenberg can give federal ░░░░░░░░ information about that piece ░░░░░░░░ the investigation that would ░░░░░░░░ serious trouble And Katie ░░░░░░░░ to say with you ░░░░░░░░ just a moment is ░░░░░░░░ any reporting that you ░░░░░░░░ done that comes any ░░░░░░░░ to finding out who ░░░░░░░░ young girl is You ░░░░░░░░ I think that a ░░░░░░░░ of reporters are coming ░░░░░░░░ to understanding her identity ░░░░░░░░ understanding who she is ░░░░░░░░ I also think that ░░░░░░░░ s really not the ░░░░░░░░ of the investigation The ░░░░░░░░ is what was done ░░░░░░░░ her So I don ░░░░░░░░ know that her identity ░░░░░░░░ as much to the ░░░░░░░░ It wouldn t matter ░░░░░░░░ the story but it ░░░░░░░░ matter to investigators Katie ░░░░░░░░ right She would be ░░░░░░░░ witness She would be ░░░░░░░░ the star witness in ░░░░░░░░ case like this Explain ░░░░░░░░ little bit because this ░░░░░░░░ a principle we do ░░░░░░░░ sort of as lay ░░░░░░░░ but as an attorney ░░░░░░░░ mean if you re ░░░░░░░░ 33 or so counts ░░░░░░░░ very serious crimes from ░░░░░░░░ know making fake identities ░░░░░░░░ extortion all sorts of ░░░░░░░░ he s facing and ░░░░░░░░ re just a tax ░░░░░░░░ you re not like ░░░░░░░░ big deal and your ░░░░░░░░ is a United States ░░░░░░░░ you know isn t ░░░░░░░░ sort of a core ░░░░░░░░ tactic is you know ░░░░░░░░ on up Give somebody ░░░░░░░░ somebody than you somebody ░░░░░░░░ than you Absolutely You ░░░░░░░░ going to want to ░░░░░░░░ to move as high ░░░░░░░░ the food chain as ░░░░░░░░ So somebody like Greenberg ░░░░░░░░ his history of his ░░░░░░░░ with Matt Gaetz he ░░░░░░░░ going to be the ░░░░░░░░ that the prosecution is ░░░░░░░░ one though is going ░░░░░░░░ vet We re going ░░░░░░░░ vet him before we ░░░░░░░░ him a plea deal ░░░░░░░░ why does he want ░░░░░░░░ do this He wants ░░░░░░░░ save his own skin ░░░░░░░░ Greenberg is the guy ░░░░░░░░ can peel back the ░░░░░░░░ of an onion that ░░░░░░░░ only make Matt Gaetz ░░░░░░░░ And as Katie Benner ░░░░░░░░ said a victim 14 ░░░░░░░░ 17 years old makes ░░░░░░░░ minimum mandatory sentence of ░░░░░░░░ years in federal prison ░░░░░░░░ under the federal sentencing ░░░░░░░░ for somebody like Joel ░░░░░░░░ what is he incentivized ░░░░░░░░ Well you get points ░░░░░░░░ from your possible sentencing ░░░░░░░░ if you plead guilty ░░░░░░░░ do it quickly and ░░░░░░░░ cooperate So Greenberg has ░░░░░░░░ reason under the sentencing ░░░░░░░░ to want to sell ░░░░░░░░ Matt Gaetz And the ░░░░░░░░ thing that we heard ░░░░░░░░ his lawyer today that ░░░░░░░░ of is ominous other ░░░░░░░░ Gaetz must be uncomfortable ░░░░░░░░ is this is what ░░░░░░░░ said If Mr Greenberg ░░░░░░░░ a plea agreement he ░░░░░░░░ want to show his ░░░░░░░░ of remorse which he ░░░░░░░░ have and a sense ░░░░░░░░ acceptance of responsibility He ░░░░░░░░ uniquely situated Uniquely situated ░░░░░░░░ do what right Yeah ░░░░░░░░ be able to deliver ░░░░░░░░ like Matt Gaetz on ░░░░░░░░ proverbial platter So when ░░░░░░░░ look at the charges ░░░░░░░░ you look at the ░░░░░░░░ I hate to say ░░░░░░░░ There s always a ░░░░░░░░ connection and I know ░░░░░░░░ joy we have Florida ░░░░░░░░ right We do There ░░░░░░░░ always a Florida connection ░░░░░░░░ there s also allegation ░░░░░░░░ Matt Gaetz took somebody ░░░░░░░░ young woman a young ░░░░░░░░ to the Bahamas Yeah ░░░░░░░░ s very reminiscent of ░░░░░░░░ Epstein allegations the idea ░░░░░░░░ he transported a victim ░░░░░░░░ another place So there ░░░░░░░░ a lot of incentive ░░░░░░░░ Greenberg to want to ░░░░░░░░ with the feds Absolutely ░░░░░░░░ Benner one of the ░░░░░░░░ that has been remarkable ░░░░░░░░ notable about this whole ░░░░░░░░ of sordid events is ░░░░░░░░ deafening silence from Trump ░░░░░░░░ from MAGA world in ░░░░░░░░ of Matt Gaetz There ░░░░░░░░ sort of a perfunctory ░░░░░░░░ put out by the ░░░░░░░░ president who says he ░░░░░░░░ asked me personally for ░░░░░░░░ pardon and he says ░░░░░░░░ denies it That s ░░░░░░░░ he said about Roy ░░░░░░░░ right He didn t ░░░░░░░░ anything sort of more ░░░░░░░░ than that and you ░░░░░░░░ t really heard Trump ░░░░░░░░ spring up to defend ░░░░░░░░ Gaetz Mm hmm and ░░░░░░░░ think that speaks to ░░░░░░░░ seriousness of the charge ░░░░░░░░ him And I think ░░░░░░░░ it also speaks to ░░░░░░░░ fact that many people ░░░░░░░░ Trump world were waiting ░░░░░░░░ see what Greenberg was ░░░░░░░░ to do today If ░░░░░░░░ had continued to plead ░░░░░░░░ guilty if he d ░░░░░░░░ that he d done ░░░░░░░░ wrong if he put ░░░░░░░░ some sort of defense ░░░░░░░░ would say that the ░░░░░░░░ government is wrong it ░░░░░░░░ have given more wiggle ░░░░░░░░ I think to defend ░░░░░░░░ Gaetz That taken out ░░░░░░░░ the picture I think ░░░░░░░░ s going to be ░░░░░░░░ to see what kind ░░░░░░░░ response we get whether ░░░░░░░░ will be more letters ░░░░░░░░ the one you cited ░░░░░░░░ nobody was willing to ░░░░░░░░ their name to it ░░░░░░░░ What kind of defense ░░░░░░░░ ll be able to ░░░░░░░░ now keeping in mind ░░░░░░░░ s on the Judiciary ░░░░░░░░ which has oversight of ░░░░░░░░ Justice Department It s ░░░░░░░░ going to be a ░░░░░░░░ to him to remain ░░░░░░░░ that committee going forward ░░░░░░░░ the investigation into him ░░░░░░░░ to broaden and heat ░░░░░░░░ If I had more ░░░░░░░░ I would ask whether ░░░░░░░░ not Katie Phang thinks ░░░░░░░░ Tucker Carlson is going ░░░░░░░░ end up getting called ░░░░░░░░ a witness since Gaetz ░░░░░░░░ try to bring him ░░░░░░░░ it.