The Lie

• Israel blackmailed Matt Gaetz while he was a U.S. congressman and extorted his father.

The Truth

• Israel had no involvement in the blackmail and extortion scheme targeting Matt Gaetz and his family. 

Background

• Matt Gaetz served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida from 2016 to 2024.
• A bipartisan House ethics report found that Gaetz paid at least one underage girl for sex, used illegal drugs, and accepted improper gifts while in office. Gaetz dismissed the report as a “hit job.”
• In 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice opened a federal investigation into Gaetz over alleged violations of sex‑trafficking laws. Gaetz denied the allegations, and no charges were ultimately brought against him.
• In 2021, Gaetz disclosed that his father, Don Gaetz, had been targeted in a $25 million extortion scheme. The perpetrators claimed they could make the DOJ investigation against his son “go away” in exchange for money, allegedly tied to a scheme to free an American hostage in Iran.
• The extortion plot was investigated by federal authorities. Florida developer Stephen Alford was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for his role in the scheme.
• On December 23, 2025, Gaetz told Tucker Carlson that “Israel was involved” in the extortion effort, describing it as an “op” meant to silence him. He named Jake Novak as the “Israeli official” allegedly connected to the affair.

Truth Explained:

• Jake Novak worked at the time as a broadcast media director at the Israeli consulate. He did not hold a diplomatic or intelligence role for the Israeli government. (Politico), (X)
• Novak’s only known connection to the affair was a personal friendship with Bob Kent, who had some involvement in the episode but was never charged. (Politico), (X), (Breitbart)
• Novak acknowledged knowing about the allegations against Gaetz and discussing them with Dilbert creator Scott Adams, but he denied any role in the extortion scheme. No charges were ever brought against him. (Politico), (X)
• Israeli officials stated in 2021 that any connection Novak had to the affair was personal and not connected to the Israeli government, and they instructed him to sever any involvement. (Politico)
• On September 23, 2021, Gaetz sent a letter to Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan describing himself as “a friend to Israel” and emphasizing his support for the U.S.–Israel relationship. He requested a meeting to discuss Novak’s communications regarding him and his family. (Politico)
• During the DOJ investigation into the sex‑trafficking allegations and the separate investigation into the extortion scheme, neither Matt Gaetz nor his father accused Israel of involvement. (Breitbart), (Politico), (X)
• Until his interview with Tucker Carlson, Gaetz did not allege involvement by the Israeli government. Instead, he accused elements within the U.S. government of playing a role in the extortion effort. (X)
• Emma‑Jo Morris, a reporter who covered the story extensively and interviewed Gaetz, stated that “Israel never came up once” during her reporting. (X)
• Israel is not mentioned in the case’s criminal indictment, court filings, or sentencing documents.  (DOJ), (Scribd), (Justia)

Quotes:

• “There was more than one person involved in this criminal shakedown of my family. The federal government has only chosen to hold one accountable, and I am concerned that they’re protecting the people who have connections to the U.S. government.” —- Matt Gaetz, 2022
• “I broke a big exclusive on this case in 2022 at Breitbart, I was given tons of access, no one else was touching it, Israel never came up once. This angle is apparently new information since… this year.” —- Emma-Jo Morris

Takeaway:

The claim that Israel was involved only surfaced years after the extortion case was investigated, tried, and closed. It was never raised at the time, appears nowhere in court records, and was not alleged by Gaetz or his father during the investigation. Gaetz appears to have concluded that blaming Israel is now politically useful, given the rise in open anti-Israel sentiment—especially among Tucker Carlson and his audience.