A statement by the Consulate General of Israel in New York has been issued following the involvement of a consulate employee in the case regarding Representative Matt Gaetz.
Jake Novak, the broadcast media director of the Consulate General, corresponded with Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams about the federal investigators probing Gaetz, according to a recent article by POLITICO. The correspondence occurred before Novak began working for the consulate.
Matt Gaetz is being investigated over alleged paid sexual relations with a 17-year-old girl.
“Scoop I can’t report: Rep. Gaetz is the subject of sex with minor…. I trust the source. Charges/accusations apparently ‘very credible',” Novak wrote before the report became public.
During their correspondence, Novak said he had "inside knowledge" of the probe.
He also suggested he was involved in the plot to get $25 million out of Gaetz's father. This was to help free an American hostage in Iran named Bob Levison.
“The backstory is this is screwing up my efforts to free Bob Levinson,” Novak wrote to Adams, according to POLITICO. “I've got a commando team leader friend of mine nervously waiting for wire transfers to clear.”
Another exchange has Novak saying he has knowledge of negotiations with Gaetz's father, saying “the real documents do not extort. And we only asked for $25 million as an estimate at first. We came way down.”
POLITICO received copies of the text messages and confirmed their authenticity with Adams.
A spokesperson for the Consulate General of Israel in New York said, both to POLITICO, and on Twitter, that the consulate and Israel weren't involved in the case.
4/4 After this matter was brought to our attention several months ago, it was made clear to the employee that this is not acceptable by the consulate, that he must never be associated with such matters in any way, and must cut all his connections immediately to the issue.
— Israel in New York (@IsraelinNewYork) September 23, 2021
Gaetz allegedly sent a letter to the Israeli Ambassador, Gilad Erdan, after the story broke requesting a meeting with him to discuss the communication between Novak and Adams.
Gaetz also responded to the POLITICO article, saying, "Why is Jake Novak (an Israeli Consulate Official) involved in an effort to extort my family? FBI should ask him."
Why is @jakejakeny (an Israeli Consulate Official) involved in an effort to extort my family?@FBI should ask him.“Novak…suggested he was personally involved in an effort to get $25 million out of Gaetz’s wealthy father.”https://t.co/9Xt3b2SMDJ
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) September 23, 2021