It was Tuesday night when the New York Times first reported that the Justice Department is investigating Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) over allegations that he had a sexual relationship with a minor and may have paid for her to travel with him, possibly violating federal sex trafficking laws in the process.

The allegations, which the congressman has denied, came to the attention of federal law enforcement as part of a larger investigation into one of Gaetz's political allies: Joel Greenberg, an almost comically scandalous figure, who has been indicted on a variety of crimes, "including sex trafficking of a child and financially supporting people in exchange for sex, at least one of whom was an underage girl."

Overnight, the New York Times advanced this story in dramatic ways.

Practically every paragraph in the Times' report, which has not been independently verified by MSNBC or NBC News, adds to the appalling nature of the allegations. The article added, for example, that federal investigators believe Greenberg would meet women "through websites that connect people who go on dates in exchange for gifts," and then introduce the women to the Republican congressman, "who also had sex with them."

Gaetz, one of Donald Trump's most flamboyant congressional allies, continues to deny the allegations.

Nevertheless, according to the reporting, the alleged sexual encounters occurred as recently as 2019 and 2020, with Gaetz and Greenberg allegedly instructing women on where to meet them and receive financial offers. "Some of the men and women took ecstasy," the Times reported, "an illegal mood-altering drug, before having sex, including Mr. Gaetz, two people familiar with the encounters said."