Marjorie Taylor Greene hurls 'pro-pedophile' charges at fellow Republicans as her ally Matt Gaetz is under investigation for alleged sex with a minor

• Greene has hurled "pro-pedophile" accusations at Republicans who support Ketanji Brown Jackson.
• She's defended her ally Matt Gaetz who is under investigation for alleged sex crimes involving a minor

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has accused centrist Republicans of being "pro-pedophile," but she has defended her close ally in Congress who is under federal investigation for alleged sex crimes involving a minor.

Federal authorities are investigating whether Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida engaged in sex trafficking, obstructed justice, paid for sex, and had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl. Gaetz has denied the accusations and has not been charged.

Greene, a Georgia Republican, told Insider in January that she and Gaetz don't talk about the investigation. The two have toured the country together to fundraise and rally former President Donald Trump's base.

"It just doesn't look like there is anything there," because no women had come out publicly, she said then.

She added, "In my honest opinion I don't think it's affecting him at all. He has such massive support in his district."

"Matt's strong," Greene said. "He's doing fine."

"Pro-pedophile" has become a favored line of attack for Greene. She used it to describe Republican Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Susan Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine for their preliminary votes in favor of Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Joe Biden's nominee for the vacancy on the Supreme Court.

"Murkowski, Collins, and Romney are pro-pedophile," Greene tweeted in an apparent reference to Republican criticism of Jackson's sentencing record. "They just voted for #KBJ."

Critics have interpreted Greene's attack on Twitter as an appeal to the far-right QAnon conspiracy theorist movement, whose adherents believe without evidence that Democratic elites run child-trafficking networks. She has been accused of having ties to the movement.

Collins laughed when Insider asked about Greene's comment. "Frankly, this is what we've come to expect from her," the Maine Republican told Insider as she left the Senate chamber on Tuesday. "So it doesn't trouble me. It's obviously ludicrous and typical."

Greene has also called Walt Disney Co. "pro-child predator" because the company criticized a Florida education law that critics have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill. She owns stock in Disney, Insider reported.

Insider's Kimberly Leonard, Camila DeChalus, and Bryan Metzger contributed to this story.