paula reid is with us for the latest. it was hard to keep track of all the development s in this.we learn today? >> multiple sources tell cnn congressman gaetz showed other lawmakers photos and videos of nude women he claimed to have slept with. one source said he shared the images on his phone while on the floor of the house. another said it was a point of pride for gaetz. there is no evidence the justice department is looking into this issue or that these were photos of minors. his office so far though hasn't responded at all to our reporting, but all of this comes as cnn is learning new details about the scope of an entirely separate criminal investigation into alleged sexual misconduct by gaetz. >> reporter: tonight new details on the sex trafficking investigation into representative matt gaetz. cnn has learned prosecutors are looking into a relationship with a woman that began when she was just 17. and whether his involvement with other young women broke sex trafficking and prostitution laws according to two sources briefed on the matter. those sources say investigators are a

cnn's paula reid joins us, now. paula, what are the federal investigators looking at here?earned that the federal sex-trafficking investigation into congressman gaetz includes looking at whether he took gifts. h like, travel and paid escorts, in exchange for political favors. sources briefed on the matter say the justice department is scrutinizing a 2018 trip to the bahamas involving gaetz and several-young women. now, they are specifically looking at whether the getaway was part of an orchestrated effort to illegally influence the congressman in the area of medical marijuana. now, cnn has previously reported gaetz is under investigation for engaging in a relationship with a woman that began when she was just 17. and that gaetz attended sex parties in orlando with other prominent republicans, that involved women, drugs, and exchanging sex, for money. now, cnn has also learned that investigators, already, have one-key witness, who is cooperating. and, that is, joel greenberg. he is the former seminole county tax commissioner and he is also a close associate of congressman ga

cnn's paula reid is with us now. o us about what the investigators are looking at. >> reporter: cnn has learned the investigation at congressman matt gaetz includes whether or not gaetz took gifts in exchange for favors. and courses say they're scrutinizing a 2018 trip to the bahamas involving gaetz and two young women. they're looking at whether it's part of an effort to orchestrate the issue against the medical marijuana. and gaetz is under investigation for engaging in a relationship with a woman under the age of 17. and a plan that involved women, drugs and exchanges sex for money. and cnn has learned one witness is cooperating. j joel greenberg, he's a former tax commissioner and associate of gaetz who also attended the sex parties. he's expected to enter a plea deal in the coming weeks. now, looking at the congressman's history of history of medical marijuana, he has a long history of advocating for medical marijuana. he's introduced legislation at the state and federal levels trying to loosen the laws regulatin

let's go to cnn's paula reid, following the developments for us. paula, walk us through what we do know. >> viktor, greenberg reportedly wrote a letter admitting that he and gaetz paid for sex with multiple women, including a minor just 17 at the time. now there were several drafts reportedly of the remember. in an earlier draft obtained bit by the daily beast claims he that thought the woman was 19 but later learned she was underage. greenberg reportedly claims when he figured it out he called the congressman and warned him. cnn has not seen the letter and can't verify the details of the daily beast story. but we have spoken to several women who were involved with both men. and we have reported that greenberg paid women on behalf of congressman gaetz after some sexual encounters. now cnn's own chris cuomo spoke to roger stone last night and stone says he doesn't recall a letter. never heard greenberg implicating gaetz and never tried to get greenberg a pardon. stone told the daily beast he never asked for nor received money from gasoline rk. >> pau

cnn's paula reid reports. >> reporter: rudy giuliani is speaking out for the first time since federals raided his home and office wednesday. on his radio show he denied any wrongdoing. >> search warrant is one act of failing to register as a foreign -- failing to file as a foreign agent, which is completely false, which i have been able and i'm really, willing and able to prove is untrue for the last two years which the justice department ignored. it involves my -- they think -- representing ukrainians. >> wow, what a beautiful day. thank you. >> reporter: federal investigators executed multiple search warrants on giuliani wednesday seeking evidence for their probe into potential foreign lobbying actions. at times in past it has included some work on giuliani's work on other countries. they say the search warrant sought other devices. a computer of giuliani's assistant and also lawyer victoria toensing. her phone was seized by agents. an attorney for giuliani tells cnn that the search warrant sought communications between giuliani and other individuals including right wing columnist j

paula reid, cnn, washington. >>> the u.s. capitol police, mourning the loss of another officer. and this year's violence, taking a toll on the department. and officers' family. we will have that when we come back. >>> also, the cdc sharing its guidance for easter for those who are fully vaccinated against the virus. we'll explain what's changed. how great is it that we get to tell everybody how liberty mutual customizes your car insurance so you only pay for what you need? i mean it... uh-oh, sorry... oh... what? i'm an emu! no, buddy! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty. ♪ welcome, today's discussion will be around sliced meat. moms want healthy... and affordable. land o' frost premium!!! no added hormones either. it's the only protein i've really melted with. land o' frost premium. fresh look. same great taste. >>> and welcome back to our viewers here, in the united states, and around the world. i'm michael holmes. you are watching cnn "newsroom." more now on our top story. what might have led a 25-year-old man to ram a car into the officers on fri

>> paula reid, thank you so much. congressman gaetz certainly is in a lot of hot water. much legal jeopardy he could be facing. that's next. i need a new wireles plan for my business, but all my employees need something different. oh, we can help with that. okay, imagine this... your mover, rob, he's on the scene and needs a plan with a mobile hotspot. we cut to downtown, your sales rep lisa has to send some files, asap! so basically i can pick the right plan for each employee... yeah i should've just led with that... with at&t business... you can pick the best plan for each employee and only pay for the features they need. dignity. this thing you can neither see nor measure... ...but that demands the return of small moments illness attempts to steal. ♪ dignity demands a rapid covid test, ♪ because we all need an answer to move forward. ♪ dignity demands your heart stays connected to your doctor, so you know it's beating as it should. ♪ it demands a better understanding of your glucose levels, so you can enjoy movie night. ♪ and knowing your baby is getting the nutrition

cnn legal affairs correspondent paula reid is joining us, paula, the doj is making a clarification istand on what type of spray was used. talk to us about that. >> reporter: today the justice department walking back its claim that bear spray was used to assault three police officers including the late officer brian sicknick during the attack on the capitol. today a justice department prosecutor said, in fact, it was a smaller can of a different chemical agent used against officers trying to defend a barrier at the capitol. prosecutors have repeatedly said it was bear spray used against officer sicknick and others and that really is significant because bear spray is a serious chemical. it's meant to deter aggressive behavior in bears. it's not meant to be used on humans. it's meant for humans to carry around yellow stone or glacier national park. prosecutors are still arguing that two of the defendants actually tried to get their hands on bear spray to bring to the capitol. prosecutors say that's significant because they argue it speaks to the kind of planning that went into this atta

joining me now to discuss, paula reid, senior legal dpont and a cnn legal analyst. he served as counsel for democrats in trump's first impeachment trial. paula, let's begin with you. what exactly did investigators seize in giuliani's apartment and office and what specific crime do we believe there or crimes that they're investigating here, potential crimes? >> well, i've been speaking with mr. giuliani's attorney. he told me that on the search warrant it specifically says that yesterday's search was related to an investigation into possible illegal foreign lobbying. if you are working on behalf of a foreign government, you need to disclose that to the justice department. but yesterday's move, as you said, it was a very sudden bombshell. we learned that seven federal agents showed up at giuliani's new york home early yesterday morning and more agents showed up at his park avenue office. we've learned that electronic devices were seized from both locations and giuliani's lawyer tells me that according to the search warrant, investigators are especially interested in hi

paula reid, cnn, washington. >>> the u.s. justice department says, federal prosecutors have indicted three men in the killing of ahmaud arbery. the black, 25-year-old was out for a jog, here, in the state of georgia, back in february, 2020. he was chased down by three men, and shot dead. a video of what happened was posted online, in may, and went viral. the three white men, now, face the new-hate crime and attempted-kidnapping charges, as well as state-murder charges. arbery's mother tells cnn that this is one step closer to justice. >>> protestors in elizabeth city, north carolina, took to the streets, wednesday evening. demanding the release of body-cam footage showing the deadly-police shooting of andrew brown jr. once curfew set in, several arrests were made to disperse the lingering crowd. demonstrators gathered, after a judge denied requests to publicly release the video showing last week's fatal incident. cnn's jason carroll has the latest. >> andy jr. has been silenced. so, his voice now are those cameras. that's how

cnn's paula reid has more. >> reporter: congressman matt gaetz avoided questions from reporters as hetted back on the hill for the first time since news of a federal investigation first broke. cnn is learning more about drug use, sex and payments to women involved in late night parties with gaetz. cnn spoke directly with two women who attended these parties with the lawmaker and others. the women told cnn these parties were held at a house in a gated community in suburban orlando. the first thing some women were asked to do was put away their cell phones as the high profile men in attendance often including congressman gaetz and other state republicans, did not want the night documented. cnn has learned that people mingled and shared drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy. one of the women said she saw gaetz take a pill she believed was a recreational drug and that he behaved like a frat party boy. some of these people at these parties had sex. the justice department is investigating whether congressman gaetz violated federal sex trafficking and prostitution laws as a result of the prob

cnn's paula reid reports gaetz is taking new steps to clear his name. >> reporter: today congressmantz published an op-ed where he tried to frame the ongoing criminal investigation as another political witch-hunt. he also denied allegations of prostitution and sleeping with an underaged girl, writing, first, i have never ever paid for sex. and second, i, as an adult man, have not slept with a 17-year-old. one thing gaetz did not address in his op-ed is the separate set of allegations first reported by cnn that he was showing nude pictures of women he allegedly slept with to other lawmakers, including when he was on or near the floor of the house. that conduct is not under criminal investigation, but it's another in a series of escalating scandals surrounding the lawmaker. even as he denies the allegations in that op-ed, cnn has learned gaetz is building a legal team to defend him as this moves forward. his lead attorney has added another lawyer with experience in white collar crimes. it's not clear when the second attorney was added but it suggests they may be preparing to possibly h

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as cnn's paula reid reports from washington gaetz is alleging he and his family are the victims of an attempt. >> reporter: cnn has learned that former attorney general bill barr received multiple briefings on this sex trafficking investigation into representative gaetz and the source familiar says barr did not object to the probe which is really heating up now as gaetz appears to be trying to distract from these serious allegations by insisting he is the real victim. news that the then attorney general bill barr received multiple briefings while he was in office on the sex trafficking investigation into representative matt gaetz. a source familiar with the matter tells cnn barr did not take issue with the case, which began in the final months of the trump administration. another source tells cnn that gaetz is being investigated over allegations of sex trafficking and prostitution, including involving a minor. congressman gaetz is denying the allegations after "the new york times" reported he was under investigation for allegations involving a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old by

cnn's paula reid live with us now with much more in detail. paula? >> good morning.nn has learned that seven federal agents executed a search warrant at giuliani's home early wednesday morning. additional agents searched his park avenue office. electronic devices were seized in both locations. a sudden and very public development in a years-long investigation into giuliani's activities in ukraine. federal investigators conducted a raid at rudy giuliani's home and office in new york city wednesday. seizing electronic devices from former president donald trump's personal attorney. >> it's a very aggressive step. i know the folks at the sdny, i hired a lot of them, and they would only do something like this that's so significant if they believed very strongly based on the facts and the law that there's something worthwhile pursuing here. >> reporter: an attorney for rudy giuliani tells cnn the search warrant was related to an investigation into possible foreign lobbying violations, especially communications between giuliani and right wing columnist john solomon. solomon

cnn's senior legal affairs correspondent, paula reid, is with us now. ow hearing from the president on this. what is he saying? >> reporter: he says that he wants to preserve the justice department's independence, so he was not briefed, nor was he even given a heads-up about yesterday's raid. let's take a listen to what exactly he said. >> i learned about that last night when the rest of the world learned about it. my word. i had no idea this was under way. this last administration politicized the justice department so badly, so many of them quit. so many left because that's not the role. that is not the role of a president to say who should be prosecuted, when they should be prosecuted, who should be not prosecuted. >> reporter: he appears to be making a reference to former president trump who often meddled in the justice department's affairs and would even call for specific people to be investigated. now, we are learning new details about what happened yesterday at mr. giuliani's home and office. we've learned that seven fbi agents showed up to his hom

cnn's paula reid has more on the investigation into both men. >> reporter: the investigation surrounding phase as a key associate signals he might strike a plea deal with the government. >> it really is an honor to be here today. >> reporter: joel greenberg a friend of gaetz and the former tax selector in seminole county, florida, is likely to enter a deal in his own criminal case raising the possibility he could cooperate with investigators as parts of the deal. >> i'm sure matt gaetz is not feeling very comfortable today. >> greenberg's attorney was in court and said any potential for cooperation would be worked out in conjunction with a plea deal. >> if somebody signs a cooperation agreement they're required to cooperate. >> reporter: gaetz's friendship with greenberg is key to the federal investigation surrounding him. the two have been friends for years, posting photos together, gaetz even told a local video station in 2017 that green berg would make a good member of congress. >> joel greenberg has gone into the seminole county tax collectors office, take it by storm. >> reporter: t

cnn's paula reid joins us in washington, there are a lot of names, a lot of accusations here, walk ushrough it. >> reporter: here we go. greenberg reportedly wrote a letter admitting he and gaetz paid for sex with multiple women, include ago minor just 17 at the time. the letter was reportedly drafted after greenberg asked roger stone, a close ally of the former president trump for help obtaining a pardon in the final months of the trump administration. now, there were multiple drafts reportedly of this letter and in an earlier draft obtained by the daily beast greenberg claims he and gaetz thought this woman was 19 years old but later they actually learned she was underage. greenberg reportedly claims when he learned this he immediately called the congressman to warn him. now cnn has not seen the letter, and can't verify the details of the daily beast's story. but we have spoken with several women who were involved with these two men and we have reported, greenberg paid women on behalf of himself and gaetz after some sexual encounters. cnn's own chris cuomo spoke to roger stone last

cnn's paula reid has the details about this how many man's legal issues could compound gaetz's own, legal troubles. >> reporter: joel greenberg is headed to court, this week. >> it really is an honor to be here today. >> reporter: he is the man, whose close friendship with representative matt gaetz, has led to an investigation into the congressman, as well. federal investigators are examining gaetz for possible prostitution and sex-trafficking crimes, including an alleged-sexual relationship with a minor. gaetz and greenberg have been friends for years. posting photos together. gaetz even told a local-radio station, in 2017, that greenberg would make a good member of congress. >> joel greenberg is going to the seminole county tax collect ever's office. he's taken it by storm. he is been a disruptor. >> reporter: gaetz was greenberg's first donor to his campaign last year, giving a thousand dollars. the maximum amount. the duo, also, left an unsolicited voicemail on florida-state representative's cell phone in 2019, which she gave to cnn. >> this is your favorite tax collector. in the panh

cnn's paula reid joins us with the latest. tell us what you've learned. >> good morning.f the women who attended these parties with congressman gaetz and others and we learned new details that may be of interest to the justice department in its investigation into the congressman and these allegations of possible sex trafficking and prostitution. the women told us these parties were held at a house in a gated community in suburban orlando and the women we spoke with said when some of the women arrived, there were rules and the first thing some of them were asked to do was to put away their cell phones. why would that be? one of the women told us that the attendees included a who's who of local republican officials and often included congressman gaetz. and they didn't want their activities at these events being documented. they were told during these events people mingled and shared drugs including cocaine and ecstasy. one of the women saw congressman gaetz take a pill that she believed was a recreational drug. also at these parties we are told that some people had sex. and

cnn's paula reid reports on this from washington. >> reporter: good morning. actually spoke with an attorney for mr. giuliani who described for me exactly what was in this search warrant that was executed at his client's house on wednesday. in this search warrant investigators confirmed that this is related to an investigation into possible foreign lobbying violations. now, if you work or you advocate on behalf of a foreign government you have to file that with the justice department. now, we're also learning that giuliani's electronic devices were seized by investigators and that the warrant specifically stated they were interested in communications he had with specific individuals including a man named john solomon, he is a columnist who wrote extensively about ukraine in the months leading up to the election. again, incredibly unusual to serve this kind of warrant on a lawyer, especially one who has represented a former president of the united states. a significant turn in this ongoing investigation looking into whether rudy giuliani was lobbying on behalf

let's start today's reporting with cnn's paula reid. paula. do we know what the feds were looking for? >> well, jake, i spoke with mr. giuliani's attorney and he described the search warrant that was executed on his client this morning. he said it specifically indcates that this is related to investigation into possible violations of foreign lobbying rules. now if you're lobbying or working on behalf of a foreign government, you are required to disclose that to the justice department. now i'm told that the warrant also seeks communications between mr. giuliani and other individuals, including a columnist john solomon who wrote a lot about ukraine in the lead up to the election. now at this point mr. giuliani has not been charged with any wrongdoing, but as you noted it's incredibly unusual to execute a warrant like this on a lawyer, especially a lawyer for a former president, and, again, this is not the only lawyer who received this kind of treatment today where a search warrant was executed, so showing up on the doorsteps of attorneys and sei

paula reid is out front in washington. what are you learning of gaetz's legal moves?g to build a legal team too defend him as this moves forward. another lawyer extensive experience in white collar crimes. it was not clear when that second attorney is added. it is suggested they may be able to defend financial transactions. one thing that gaetz did not address is the separate set of allegations reported by cnn that he was showing nude pictures that women he slept with to other lawmakers including when he was on or near the house floor. that conduct is not under criminal investigation but it is a series of escalating scandals surrounding the lawmaker. paula, thank you very much. let me ask you one more thing here. we heard from a former gaetz staffer today who said the fbi contacted him. as we try to figure out how serious this is and how far along they are, this is eight or nine months, what more are you learning of the staffer? >> what's so sbinteresting is t staffer is nathan nelson, he held a press conference in florida where he revealed that two fbi agents questio

joining me, cnn's paula reid and lauren fox on capitol paula, i was going down a rough list of everythingng investigated in relation to gaetz. it's sex or relationship with underage women, trafficking, prostitution, drugs, fake i.d.s, possible use of campaign money. none of this is proven but at least investigated. what's the latest we're learning? >> exactly. i think you got the full list there. speaking to our sources, cnn is learning more about the scope of this criminal investigation into the lawmaker. we've learned investigators are looking at whether gaetz's relationship with young women may have violated federal sex trafficking or prostitution laws. one of the women they are looking at was just 17 years old, allegedly, when their involvement began. not a woman, a girl, and they are also looking at whether gaetz may have used federal campaign money to pay for travel or any other expenses for these women. now interestingly, this investigation began in the final months of the trump administration. attorney general william barr was aware of it. he did not object. but it was actually pa

paula reid is tracking the latest developments here for us. paula, what do we know? >> reporter: good morning. joel greenberg reportedly says he and gates paid for sex with a minor who was just 17 at the time. in a letter, greenberg claims he and gates thought the woman was 19 years old but later learned she was underage. we've spoken with several women who are involved with these two men and we have reported that greenberg paid women on behalf of gates after some sexual encounters. stone says he doesn't recall any letter. he said he never heard greenburg implicating gaetz and he never tried to get him a pardon. and he said he never asked or received payments from greenberg. >> and what is gaetz saying about this latest twist? >> a spokesman for gaetz responded with a statement saying in part gaetz has never paid for sex, nor has he had sex with a 17-year-old as an adult. the story does not add anything of substance and certainly no evidence for the wild and false claims about representative gaetz. in fact, it goes in some way to show gaetz was long out of touch with

cnn's paula reid joins us now. eral investigators looking at in the. >> good afternoon, jake. sources briefed on the matter say the justice department is scrutinizing a 2018 trip to the bahamas involving congressman gaetz and several young women. they are specifically looking at whether that getaway was part of an orchestrated effort to illegally influence the congressman on the issue of medical marijuana. cnn has previously report gaetz is under investigation for engaging allegedly in a relationship with a woman who was just 17 when that relationship began. also report that had gaetz attended sex parties in orlando with other prominent republicans, that those parties involved women, drugs and sex in exchange for money. now cnn has also learned that investigators already have one key witness who is cooperating and that is joel greenberg. he's the former seminole county tax commissioner and is a close associate of gaetz. he also i attended the sex parties. he was indicted on multiple charges including sex traffic, an

joining me right now is paula reid who is following all of the details here. paula, what more you are learning about the raid, about his investigation? >> well, kate, cnn learned that in addition to the raid of his home, federal agents also searched his park avenue office where they seized a computer belonging to one of his executive assistants and i learned that they also served that assistant with a subpoena to appear before a grand jury next month. signalling that mr. giuliani's legal problems are far from over. >> reporter: federal investigators conducted a raid at rudy giuliani's home and office in new york city wednesday. seizing electronic devices from former president donald trump's personal attorney. >> it's a very aggressive step. i know the folks at the sdny. they would only do something like this if they believed very str strongly there is something worth while for pursuing. >> an attorney tells cnn that search warrant was related to a investigation into foreign lobbying violations. especially communicates between giuliani and right-wing columnist j

paula reid is tracking the latest developments here for us. paula,

cnn's paula reid explains. >> reporter: florida congressman matt gaetz adding two new york attorneyshis defense team, including mark mccasey who has also represented the trump organization in the past. in a statement, a spokeswoman saided two will help gaetz fight back against the unfounded allegations. now, the daily beast offering new insight into the trail of money. venmo records show how in 2018 gaetz reportedly paid friend and seminole county tax collector then in my mind. the next day greenberg transferred the same amount to three young women according to the report. >> when matt gaetz sent them to joel greenberg it's a test to hit up this girl. when joel greenberg paid them to these girls, it said school and tuition. >> reporter: cnn has not confirmed the details' allegations in the story and there is no indication the women were under 18 at the time or the payments were for anything illegal. >> it really is an honor to be here today. >> reporter: gaetz's friend greenberg, has been indicted on 33 federal charges, including sex trafficking of a minor. >> he is uniquely situated

paula reid has the story. >> reporter: good evening.e sources tell cnn congressman gaetz showed other lawmakers photos and videos of nude women he claimed to have elementary school with. one source said he shared the images on his phone even while on the floor of the house. another source said it was a point of pride for gaetz. there's no evidence the justice department is looking into this issue or that these were photos of minors. his office has not responded to our reporting but all of this comes as cnn is learning new details about the scope of an entirely separate criminal investigation into alleged sexual misconduct by gaetz. tonight new details on the sex trafficking investigation into matt gaetz. cnn has learned prosecutors are looking into a relationship with a woman that began when she was just 17. and whether his involvement with other young women broke sex trafficking and prostitution laws according to two sources briefed on the matter. those sources say investigators are also pursuing allegations that gaetz may have used ca

paula reid, cnn, washington. >>> much more ahead on "new day," first, food as fuel. it's back.tart eating better. cnn eating reporter jacqueline howard shares three habits that can help improve your health. >> making small changes to what you eat can help make big improvements to your life. here are three healthy eating habit it's that can help you cut the bad by adding the good to your routine. to help cut the salt, look to add herbs and spices to get that flavor you crave. and researchers suggest that certain spices like cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg contain nutrients that can sharpen your memory and reduce stress. and ginger is found to help relieve pain. according to one study, it helps ease muscle pain after working out by as much as 25%. and speaking of inflammation, try avoiding inflammatory foods like french fries, pastries and red meat, go for tomatoes and leafy greens. some studies link nuts with reduced inflammation. try to always have a glass of water to help clench your 31st. it can help avoid sugary drinks and help you stay hydrated. ♪ tex-mex. tex-mex. ♪ termites.

joining me for more on this is paula reid. can you walk us through this letter? it is devastating. >> it is devastating, kate. joel greenberg wrote a letter saying he paid for sex with multiple women including a minor that was just 17 at the time. now the letter was drafted after greenberg reportedly asked roger stone, a close ally and president of former president donald trump for help in obtaining a pardon in the final months of the trump administration. now in an earlier draft of this letter obtained by "the daily beast," greenberg claims he engaged and thought one of the women was 19 years old but later learned she was actually under age. greenberg reportedly claims that when he learned of this, he immediately called the congressman and warned him to steer clear. now cnn has not seen this letter and cannot verify the details of "the daily beast's" story. but we have spoken to several women involved with these two men and we reported that greenberg paid women on behalf of congressman gaetz after some sexual encounters. we spoke with roger stone last night. sto

here's cnn's paula reid. >> reporter: good evening, don. today congressman gaetz published an op-ed where he tried to frame the ongoing criminal investigation as another political witch hunt. he also denied allegations of prostitution and sleeping with an underage girl, writing, first i have never, ever paid for sex and, second, i as an adult man have not slept with a 17-year-old. one thing gaetz did not address in his op-ed is the separate set of allegations first reported by cnn that he was showing nude pictures of women he allegedly sle slept with to other lawmakers, including when he was on or near the floor of the house. that conduct is not under criminal investigation, but it's another in a series of escalating scandals surrounding the lawmaker. and even as he denies the allegations in that op-ed today, cnn has learned gaetz is building a legal team to defend him as this moves forward. his lead attorney has added another lawyer with experience in white collar crimes. it's not clear when the second attorney was added, but it suggests t

here's paula reid. >> reporter: good evening.shed an op ed where he tried to frame it as another political witch hundred. he also denied allegations of prosecution and sleeping with an underage girl writing, first, i have never, ever paid for sex. and second, i as an adult man have not slept with a 17-year-old. one thing gaids did not address in his op-ed, the separate set of allegations first report by cnn that he was showing pictures of nude women to other lawmakers including when he was on or near the floor of the house. that conduct is not under criminal investigation but it is another in a series of escalating scandals surrounding the lawmaker. even as he denies the allegations in the op-ed today, cnn has learned he is building a legal teem defend him as this moves forward. his lead attorney has added another lawyer with experience in white color crime. it is not clear when the second attorney was added but it is suggesting they may be preparing to possibly have to defend against financial transactions in addition to any spe

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cnn's paula reid has the story. >> reporter: well, jim, cnn has learned that the federal sex traffickingnvestigation into congressman gaetz includes looking at whether gaetz took gifts like travel or paid escorts in exchange for political favors. sources briefed on the matter say the justice department is scrutinizing a 2018 trip to the bahamas involving gaetz and several young women. they're specifically looking at whether the getaway was part of an orchestrated effort to illegally influence the congressman on the issue of medical marijuana. cnn has previously reported gaetz is under investigation for engaging in a relationship with a woman that began when she was just 17 and that gaetz attended sex parties in orlando with other prominent republicans that involve women, drugs, and exchanging sex for money. cnn has also learned investigators already have one key witness who's cooperating and that is joel greenberg. he's a former seminole county tax commissioner who's also a close associate of the congressman and attended those sex parties. he was indicted last year on multiple federal ch

what happened there, our paula reid joins us with the stunning story. what happened there? other high-powered men along with a pattern of digital payments could be part of its probe of gates that includes allegations of sex trafficking and prostitution. now, we have learned these party were held at a gated community in suburban orlando. the women we spoke with said when some of the women arrived, there were rules. for example, one of the first things they were told do was put away their cellphones. the party was attended by who's who of republican officials and the men did not want their activities as these parties documented. they were often dressed up, coming directly from a political event, and we're told folks mingled and shared drugs including cocaine and ecstasy. one of the women said she saw congressman gaetz take a pill she believed was a recreational drug. now, some of the people at these parties also had sex. according to receipts reviewed by cnn, gaetz and his associate joel greenberg used digital payment apps to send hundreds of dollars to at least one woman who

paula reid has details. >> reporter: tonight the investigation surrounding florida congressman matt gaetzase as a kea soesh yat signals he might strike a plea agreement with the government. >> it is an honor to be here today. >> reporter: joel greenberg, a friend of gaetz and the tax collector in seminol county, florida, is likely to enter a deal raising the possibility he could cooperate. >> i'm sure matt gaetz isn't feeling very comfortable today. >> reporter: greenberg's attorney is saying any potential will be worked out in conjunction with a plea deal. >> if somebody signs a plea agreement deal -- >> reporter: gaetz's friendship is key to the federal investigation surrounding him. they have been friends for years posting photos together. gaetz even told a local radio station in 2017 that greenberg would make a good member of congress. >> joel greenberg has gone to the seminole county tax office. >> reporter: the plea deal is not finalized. if it goes through, it means one of gaetz' close confidantes would be cooperating putting further pressure on the congressman. >> if he accepts a

. >> paula reed, welcome to the cnn family, paula reid, by the way. as our new correspondent. appreciate you. >> reporter: thank you. >>> this just in, south carolina authorities believe former nfl player phillip adams is the gunman who shot and killed five people at this home yesterday, including two children, ages 5 and 9. that is according to a state official. york county sheriff says adams was found dead after he shot himself. the victims are dr. robert leslie, his wife of 40 years, their two grandkids, and a workman on their property. and a sixth person was wounded. the york county sheriff is now investigating what led to the attack. the doctor opened his practice in the rock hill area about 40 years ago. today, his office posted a message notifying his patients that he had, quote, passed into glory. >>> just a short time ago, president biden mentioned that tragedy in south carolina as he unveiled a spectrum of new actions on gun reform. some will be immediate through executive order. others, the president acknowledged, will take time, including

paula reid, thanks. perspective on all of this from preet barratt.nge anything for you, the idea of him seeking blanket pardon? >> it's another crazy story. we were up late on the last day of trump's presidency trying to see. who he might pardon. and we were thinking of people he might preemptively bard including his family members and including himself. we didn't know this was something maybe on the table. what i think is really a dangerous sign for matt gaetz, couple things. one is, as the reporting just suggested, you this individual, mr. greenberg in florida, who as the charges keep mounting against him and he is facing more and more jail time as additional counts are brought to bear against him, the easiest way for him to avoid jail time, as we've seen in other cases as well is for him to flip. and who better to flip on with federal prosecutors than a sitting member of congress? so that's bad because all the incentives are in favor of him cooperating. there is perhaps audio recordings. we know there is surveillance footage. he can fill in the ga

cnn's paula reid, tonight, was in the courtroom, and now has details. >> reporter: tonight, the investigationman matt gaetz enters a new phase. as a key associate signals he might strike a plea deal with the government. >> it really is an honor to be here today. >> reporter: joel greenberg, a friend of gaetz and a former tax collector in seminole county, florida, is likely to enter a deal in his own, criminal case. raising the possibility he could cooperate with investigators, as part of the deal. >> i am sure matt gaetz is not feeling very comfortable today. >> reporter: greenberg's attorney was in court today. and said, any potential for cooperation would be worked out in conjunction with a plea deal. >> if somebody signs a cooperation agreement, they're required to cooperate. >> reporter: gaetz's friendship with greenberg is key to the federal investigation surrounding him. the two have been friends, for years. posting photos together. gaetz even told a local-radio station, in 2017, that greenberg would make a good member of congress. >> joel greenberg is going to the seminole county tax c

. >> we'll keep an eye on that as it plays out, paula reid, great grateful for your reporting. >>> theico border. checking the numbers next. we didn't stop at storage or cloud. we kept going. working with our customers to enable the kind of technology that can guide an astronaut back to safety. and help make a hospital come to you, instead of you going to it. so when it comes to your business, you know we'll stop at nothing. people everywhere living with type 2 diabetes sare waking upes to what's possible with rybelsus®. ♪ you are my sunshine ♪ ♪ my only sunshine... ♪ rybelsus® works differently than any other diabetes pill to lower blood sugar in all 3 of these ways... increases insulin... decreases sugar... and slows food. the majority of people taking rybelsus® lowered their blood sugar and reached an a1c of less than 7. people taking rybelsus® lost up to 8 pounds. rybelsus® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. don't take rybelsus® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic