The Gaetz Scandal Isn’t About Matt Gaetz
A senior Trump administration official tells TAC Bob Kent was approved for $75,000 from the State Department
APRIL 28, 2021|12:01 AM
ARTHUR BLOOM
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-gaetz-scandal-isnt-about-matt-gaetz/
There are other aspects of the Bob Levinson rescue business that have so far escaped mention by the media, but are worth considering. Bob Kent, the man at the center of the alleged extortion effort, probably had reason to believe he was operating with at least the implicit sanction of the U.S. government. You don’t go on Chris Cuomo’s show and make reference to an operation to spring a prisoner out of Iran, which would be illegal without USG approval, without it.
The U.S. government’s approval may have been more than just implicit: According to a senior Trump administration official, Kent was approved to receive $75,000 from the State Department for services related to the Bob Levinson case. A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on this.
While we can’t assume the State Department knew about the subsequent $25 million ask, that a federal government contractor is accused of extorting a U.S. congressman is deeply troubling.