Man tied to Matt Gaetz's extortion allegation says lawmaker is 'trying to direct attention from himself'

A man tied to the allegations of extortion pushed by Rep. Matt Gaetz said Monday evening that the Republican lawmaker is "trying to direct attention from himself" as Gaetz faces a Justice Department probe.

Bob Kent, a former Air Force intelligence officer, told CNN's Chris Cuomo on "Prime Time" that -- despite Gaetz's claims -- he never tried to extort money from Gaetz's father, and that such claims are not part of the Justice Department investigation into allegations involving sex trafficking and prostitution. "There were no threats," Kent said. "There were no demands."