The U.S. congressman from Florida came on Tucker Carlson's show Tuesday to explain his side after the NYT published a story that Gaetz was being investigated by the DOJ over an alleged sexual relationship he had with a 17-year-old girl, whom he supposedly paid to travel with him a couple years ago. There's a bizarre exchange, where Gaetz tries to remind Carlson of a dinner they had -- Carlson, his wife, Gaetz and an unnamed woman -- almost like it was an alibi. Carlson said he didn't know what Gaetz was talking about.

The Times says the investigation is part of a broader case involving local politician Joel Greenberg, who's pled not guilty to charges of sex trafficking a minor. The outlet says the probe was opened late in Trump's final months at the behest of AG William Barr.

As for Gaetz ... he's flat-out denying any wrongdoing, while also insisting what's happening is actually a lot more sinister behind the scenes. Long story short, Gaetz says a former DOJ official named David McGee is trying to blackmail him and his family ... having allegedly demanded $25 million to make the allegations "go away."

MG even says he and his family went to the FBI to tell them about this, and he claims they set his father up with a wire to help expose the alleged plot. It's all very bizarre.