Tucker Carlson defends Menendez prostitution story

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-- excited -- -- -- you may know senator Robert Menendez is under heavy pressure because a friend of his being investigated on corruption charges by the FBI.

There have been allegations -- -- try to help that friends with government contracts.

Also local boarded in the Dominican Republic with prostitutes that's what's been alleged.

When we initially reported the story I said this about the alleged smokers.

The problem is that they are -- in the Dominican Republic they are in -- shadow we industries or not.

Law abiding citizens coming forth as you know.

A lot of money changes hands in these things you can -- criminals to say anything.

And according the Washington Post today that's exactly what happened some woman was brought to make -- charges against Menendez who again today denied having anything to do with prostitutes.

Nameless faceless anonymous sources.

It's true right wing blogs through into the mainstream a story that was absolutely false.

That these were smears that began during my.

Election process.

And that increasingly become obvious that that's what they were smears in an attempt to affect.

The results of an election.

But now there's another wrinkle to the situation and joining us from Washington -- -- in the editor of the daily caller first broke -- and in this story.

Some rather complicated -- want to walk through this with you.

Bomb I have a lot of trouble with the prostitution angle of the story because.

You will put force and allegations -- you don't have a name attached to them you know it's an anonymous source and you know what this world is they'll say anything for money.

It might -- people trying to set up Menendez and I think that has to be taken into consideration.

And now the Washington Post basically says it's a bogus story about the prostitutes and you -- I say the Washington Post story is is ludicrous the Washington Post story was an attempt to take down our story but if you read it carefully and trust -- we did.

It doesn't achieve that they hold up an affidavit in their -- as evidence that the woman we interviewed was lying.

We're not mentioned in the affidavit has nothing to do with the story we get and in fact it's not at all clear that the woman they're talking about is the same woman we interviewed I read the post piece.

I don't recognize anything she said she talked about and -- our interview I was their partner and she didn't -- that -- for example.

Told the Washington Post that she was surreptitiously taped.

That we had a hidden camera -- right into the camera.

It's a video camera in our conversation with her it was a certain OK so is not under what happened I know I hope the post piece did not prove -- he's wrong is this an underage -- woman that you talked with an underage -- rushing to know was obviously regular self has 24 regular prostitute.

Okay so.

But how do you know the woman who's telling the truth I mean I -- just.

I want to give all Americans to benefit of the doubt the destruction of of innocence.

And when it when a journalist -- somebody threw it makes a heinous -- allegation about.

A public figure.

And then and that person is -- pretty much protected there anonymous.

I don't know -- too little queasy -- I get it this is one of the basic and under was a journalist and it's something we deal with everyday people come forward and make allegations.

Can you know they the kind of -- -- losers of the face on them and they're out there and had taken the bricks that that come with an allegation.

I can understand that -- a protected criminal.

But but bill I mean I've been doing this twenty years not as long as you -- you know that the truth which is 90% of our sources have agendas.

They're anonymous they're working well do you believe this you don't fully understand why -- why -- trouble of reasons it here's -- okay because she did and I she and her partner.

Did an on camera -- with us for quite some time that was.

Quite specific.

And by the way -- -- and other stories we've done we interviewed a prostitute in the United States who said she had.

-- -- with senator Menendez this was not out of left field and again by the way this is part of a much larger story about the senators trips down to the Vatican -- public.

With -- campaign contributor who as you noted in the intro was now under FBI investigation this is not a random one off that we did.

You would of gathered that from me in the Washington Post piece but it wasn't as part of a much larger story about this senators activities in the Dominican Republic which we think deserve scrutiny.

Many in the press disagreed they batted the status -- -- was entirely legitimate to air the claims of human beings on camera.

You know it's not that straightforward traditional -- that's what we did.

Is it possible though that this story was manufactured.

By people who don't like Menendez and want to get it.

You know you you give the woman a grander -- -- comes on and told you what was stuff when she's protected.

You know I just don't know.

Well I can tell you that's our source the person who brought this story to us I am satisfied entirely.

Received no money from anyone for the story it would impose peace came -- the first thing we did.

Was re engineer the story reported again go back to work sources checked everything we reported the first time to make certain look -- were wrong.

I've been wrong over the years for sure and I will admit it you have to admit it to not -- it is dishonest.

So we went and we -- every fact in the first fact I want -- was did our source take money and the answer is no he didn't.

All right -- a little queasy with the prostitution angle on this I think the FBI's investigation of the don't or help Menendez.

Has to go forward I think that's the big -- bigger story.

And we just and it will -- decide okay talk directly.

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Tucker Carlson defends Menendez prostitution story

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