.
- In the criminal justice system,
sexually based offenses
are considered especially heinous.
In New York City, the dedicated detectives
who investigate these vicious felonies
are members of an elite squad
known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
- Single mothers in subsidized housing are being trafficked
in exchange for apartments.
- Congressman Howard's Chief of Staff was there.
- My client has knowledge
of complicit individuals at nonprofits
and government agencies.
- You've heard of a Dr. Catalina Machado?
- Yeah, the founder of Proud Life.
- Catalina knew.
- Every single man that Ortiz named
had a direct connection to Proud Life.
- What else does she have to offer?
- Well, a Deputy Mayor, three congressmen...
- The old guard is coming for me.
- What I see?
Failure written all over you.
- Crazy.
- Pretty good-looking couple.
- She's a cop. His first partner.
[dramatic music]
- You think anybody at the wedding saw us?
- Nobody saw us.
- This is not a great idea.
- It's the courthouse at 10:00 p.m.
It's not like the cleaning crew is gonna bust us.
[soft music]
♪
- Look.
- Is this even real?
- It seems like it is.
- And tomorrow?
- All of them? I live in a studio.
Phoebe wants you and Céline to enjoy them.
- Tell Phoebe they're lovely.
- That was kind of nice, right?
- The best!
- What's next?
You guys going on a we-didn't-get-married-moon?
- Not yet. Catalina's flippin'.
Captain wants all hands on deck, all weekend.
- Copy that.
- Counselor Carisi? - Yeah, sorry I'm late.
- Anya Avital, Southern District.
- Good to meet you.
- The rest of the team is waiting.
Oh. Lipstick.
- What?
- You had fun at the wedding, huh?
- [sighs]
- Got it, Chief.
CompStat first thing Tuesday morning.
I'll be there.
- CompStat?
So Chief McGrath can bully you again?
- That's not what this is, Lamai.
Catalina Machado is with the Southern District right now.
We thought she was the ring leader,
but if she's just the middleman,
who knows how high this goes?
SVU takes the lead on this case.
Politicians, congressmen involved in sex trafficking?
This is the break I need at NYPD.
- My colleagues, U.S. Attorneys Carstairs and Atwood.
And of course, you know Catalina Machado.
- We've met.
- Where's Captain Benson?
- She's en route, Counselor.
- My boss already punched out; now I've missed
the last ferry to the Jersey Shore.
Can we get started here before I miss the entire weekend?
- Let me call her again.
- It was a great night.
Everything that's been going on, it's just...
It's nice to get a break. - It really was.
[phone buzzes]
Hold on a second.
I've got Carisi on the other line.
- Yeah, take it. I'll be right here.
- Liv, where are you?
I got half the Southern District waiting here.
- On my way, on my way. - Okay, see you soon.
She may be a few more minutes.
Why don't we get started?
- I was supposed to be at the DA's office an hour ago,
so I gotta go. - I know you do.
[tense music]
- Except that I've got some idiot
with his brights on behind me.
- Eh, pull over.
[horn blares]
Hey, Liv, let him pass.
- I'm trying.
[tires screeching]
♪
- Liv? Liv? Liv!
I got you.
Stay with me.
- Elliot.
- Hey, I'm here.
♪
- Hang in there, ma'am. You're going to be okay.
We got you.
♪
[dramatic music]
♪
.
- You scared the hell out of us, Liv.
- Guys, I'm fine. Air bags.
- How about that ankle?
- Well, they want me to get an MRI, but...
[groans] Like I have time.
- No, you got to see an orthopedist.
You don't mess around with an ankle.
- Thank you, Doctor Carisi.
- Crash investigations get anything?
- Stabler and the OC are looking into it.
Going through my car, looking at traffic cams.
But so far the working theory is drunk driver, hit and run.
- By someone who knew just how hard to hit you
and just how fast to run.
- Fin, if there's anything there, they will find it.
How did it go with Catalina? Was she helpful?
- And then some. She's a font.
- Chief McGrath will be happy.
- Even when he's happy, he's not happy.
Bring me up to speed?
- Here it is.
- Our investigation started with a prostitution complaint
from a neighbor.
And we quickly ascertained that homeless mothers
were being given subsidized housing
and then threatened with eviction
if they didn't provide sexual services.
- And how did that get us to Catalina Machado?
- We picked up Ruben Ortiz,
who was the aide to Congressman George Justin Howard.
- He gave up Catalina.
She in turn named co-conspirators,
including a former HUD secretary
and two former assemblymen and--
- I'm hearing a lot of formers.
So who is your highest-raking public servant
who still has a job?
- Congressman Howard.
[dramatic music]
[bell ringing]
[applause]
- Nothing sadder than
white people congratulating themselves.
- That bulldog is Howard's handler?
- That's Myron Gold.
That's Howard's lawyer turned political consultant.
Word is Gold is gonna make Howard the next president.
- [scoffs] That happens,
Céline and I are moving to France.
- Justin Howard was born in Westchester.
He is the only son of a prominent New York family.
- Can we cut to the chase?
You've got Catalina and Ortiz wearing wires?
- Yes.
- And neither of them knows the other is wired.
- Even better.
- Victims? - Yeah.
- Phone records?
When do we pick him up?
- There is a fundraiser this weekend.
- Well, to be fair, we're still building the case.
We're going over NDAs; we're following online payments.
- I don't want this investigation to stall out,
like the Feds with that-- that Ken doll, Gaetz.
You reel this guy in,
that's a win for us.
And for you, Chief Garland...
♪
Everything will be forgiven.
♪
- I saw you on the news this morning, ringing the bell.
Good for you!
- Big things are happening. - Absolutely.
And wherever I go, there's a place for you, Catalina.
- Aw, God bless you, Congressman.
Whatever I can do.
- Oh, since you mentioned it,
I went by Holt Tower to visit my mother,
and I couldn't find my friend Paulie, the maintenance guy.
- He had a family emergency.
- But I miss my sweet Rosa.
- Rosa's been a little difficult.
She's worried about what her son might know.
- So we need another NDA.
- I'm already on it, boss.
- The problem is these young mothers,
always worried about their little kids.
Aren't there deserving homeless families
with, uh, teenage daughters?
- I'm sure we can find some.
- Thank you, Catalina.
- What a piece of crap.
- I do love to, uh, mentor. - Mm.
- So maybe you can let me know by Saturday?
- Chief McGrath.
- Don't get up. You stay off of that leg.
- It's not a big deal.
- We're all lucky that it wasn't worse.
Especially Chief Garland.
I am well aware that this is more your case than his.
- Oh, I wouldn't say that.
I've been working closely with him on this.
- That's good to hear.
So, between us, I have a very good UC who I trust.
- Howard is going to a fundraiser,
and I have two CIs in the room with him.
- Mm, even so,
can't hurt to bolster their testimony.
So who can, uh-- who can middle that?
- Uh, maybe Dr. Machado. I'll let Garland know.
- Eh, eh, eh, don't.
Department's a little worried
about Garland's prior relationship
to Catalina Machado.
- I can assure you
that Garland's loyalty is to the Department.
- Mm-hmm.
There's still the matter of his judgement.
I'm trusting you not to mention this UC to him, okay?
[soft dramatic music]
Or anyone else on your squad, for that matter.
- Chief, this could be dangerous for your guy.
- So make sure it isn't.
♪
.
- So the Holt Tower trafficking case is now focused
on Congressman Howard's involvement.
Rosa, Lulu, and Denise have all disclosed
that Howard paid them multiple visits.
So, are they all solid?
Guys, is there a problem?
- Lulu's not talking until she gets her daughter back.
And I don't blame her--she's already been burned twice.
- I'm working with protective services on that, Fin.
- And Denise is out. - Not worth another run?
- No, I mean out. Out of the city.
Can't find her.
- Okay, that leaves Rosa.
- We promised to leave her alone,
so she and her son could have a fresh start.
- We did, but you two have a good rapport,
so ask her about Howard and see where it leads.
- Rosa?
- I told you that you can't be here.
I was on a school field trip. - I know.
- Pequeño, mijo. And bring me back my change.
- Look, things are moving quickly, all right?
We're looking to make a case against Mr. Howard.
- No.
Your own captain told me after I helped with Catalina
that I could keep the apartment.
She said it was over.
- And it is over...for you.
But he's hurting other women.
Raping girls.
- I believe it.
The man's a pig, the worst of them all.
- We need your help to put him away.
- By testifying? Against Howard?
Are you crazy? You know who he is.
- I do. But we can protect you.
- Ma! You want some?
- I have to go.
- Hey, at least think it over?
- Let me be with my son.
- Are you nuts?
Bad enough I had to rat out Catalina.
But Howard?
That guy's gonna be president someday.
Got a machine behind him. Think they're gonna let
a mamaluke like me blow that up?
- We can drive you. Say it's a medical issue.
No one here has to know.
- Grand jury.
I told you already.
I took Howard to Lulu's apartment, Denise's apartment,
and Rosa's apartment.
- Well--well, now we need you to testify to that.
[dramatic music]
- How are we doing on the afterparty for the fundraiser?
I haven't heard back from Catalina.
- She's working on it. - Not fast enough.
It's been a busy week, and we need to unwind.
What about those girls who interned last summer?
- They were still in high school, boss.
- Just make sure they have IDs.
Ooh, the petite blonde. She was like a colt.
- [chuckles] Colt's the male horse.
Filly's the female. - [laughs]
- You getting confused, partner?
- Well, she was flat and sleek.
That's all I know. None of that mama fat.
- Oh, Jenna.
- That's her. That's my little pony.
- [chuckles]
And her cute friend. - Hayden.
- So Ortiz needed a law degree to become a pimp.
- Jenna, how old is she?
- Ortiz said she's a sophomore.
- So high school. What, 16?
- Yeah, or maybe even 15.
I've got three girls at Sacred Heart.
God, this makes me sick.
Make sure Ortiz gets this Jenna to the fundraiser
and catch Howard in the act and arrest him on-site, okay?
- Um, again, Chief, the thinking here
is that maybe we let this play out a bit more.
- Why?
- Well, some of our witnesses are a bit reluctant.
And we're thinking if we give them more time--
- Tell your witnesses to grow a pair.
I want this guy to go down now.
You understand me? - With all due respect,
we're only gonna get one shot at Congressman Howard.
- And the Eighth Floor agrees.
- Yeah, well, they got no balls, either.
Correct me if I'm wrong, Counselor,
but as soon as Howard announces his exploratory committee
for presidency,
then any arrest is gonna be perceived as political.
Am I right? - Agreed.
But that's still a ways off.
- What's not is a new mayor. [phone buzzes]
And after the year that we've just had,
Howard is the perfect target.
- You mean white?
- And privileged, yeah.
And that is just the kind of headline that makes us--
Captain, are you with us?
- I'm sorry.
Something's come up.
I have a situation and I need to leave.
Excuse me.
- Where's the captain?
- Don't know. Still haven't heard from her.
- That did not feel right, pressuring Rosa today.
I feel like we're rushing this, you know?
Maybe she'll talk to McGrath about it.
- Good luck.
- I know the job is not supposed to be easy, but...
today is the first day where it just felt wrong.
You know?
- That's part of the job, too. You gotta get past that.
- Morales was a cop gone bad. He was distressed.
Couldn't handle it.
- So what happened next?
- He put a gun to his head.
Sergeant Bell was trying to talk him down.
- No. You do not go out this way.
- Ayanna, I need you right now.
- I'm here. - I need you.
- I'm here.
- Morales finally lowers his weapon
and we all took a breath.
- You have your--no! [gunshots]
- Everything happened so quickly.
He aimed his gun at us,
and Sergeant Bell used force to fire first.
It was a good shooting. Textbook.
Suicide by cop.
- Anything else you want to add?
- No.
- Why were you at the hospital, Captain Benson?
- I received a text from Detective Stabler.
But I know now that he didn't send it.
- How? - He told me.
- And you have no reason to doubt him?
- He was my partner for-- for 12 years.
- Then who was it from? - Richard Wheatley.
It's all part of his vendetta against Detective Stabler.
Any woman who's close to him is a target.
- Wheatley wanted to kill you?
- I was run off the road a week before.
That may have been a warning shot.
- I'm aware. But at the hospital,
it was my understanding he sent Morales
to kill his ex-wife, Angela Wheatley.
- Or both of us.
- Liv. Olivia Benson.
Wow.
Elliot, now I completely understand.
She's a knock out. Poor Angela, though, huh?
Such a pleasure to meet you, Liv.
- Get him out of here.
.
- How'd it go at IAB? - It went.
Are we all set up for Howard's fundraiser?
- Everything's in motion.
- Fin, help me understand. What is it with these men?
Wheatley, Howard--
- Too much money. Too much power.
They think they can do whatever they want.
- [groans] Ow!
- You okay?
- I just-- I tweaked my ankle again.
I'm fine. - No, you're not.
I'm taking you to the doctor.
[engine turning over]
- Looks like a full house.
- Just make sure Howard gets to the suite with the girls.
We'll do the rest.
- Will he know I set him up?
- We'll burn that bridge when we get to it.
Meanwhile, just keep rocking him to sleep.
- You don't understand.
Howard gave me my first job out of law school.
He's been my friend since college.
I-I can't do this.
- You want to continue that friendship in jail?
- If the roles were reversed,
he wouldn't think twice about you.
- Showtime. Let me walk you out.
- Ortiz gonna keep it together?
- Don't worry, Counselor.
[faint dance music]
♪
- You ready? A lot riding on this.
- Yep. And if it all goes well,
my bosses will take all the glory.
- If it doesn't?
- [sighs] Maybe we open up our own agency
- [laughs]
Actually, I like the sound of that.
- What a waste of a good hotel room.
- [chuckles]
Mm. Oh, hold that thought.
It's on.
[applause]
- Good evening.
Welcome, everybody. I'm Catalina Machado.
Whenever Proud Life has needed help,
Congressman Howard has always answered the call.
And so when he called me to ask me
to introduce him tonight, I was honored.
Congressman?
[applause]
- Thank you, my dear friend. Amiga mío.
Our partnership with Proud Life proves that we have
bipartisan support to end homelessness.
And who better to lead that charge than Catalina Machado?
Alliances like ours prove that
results are more important than petty politics.
They're what real Americans want.
[applause]
- Mm, he's got his rap down.
- Give him that much.
- The divisions in this country break my heart.
We need to stop the blaming, finger-pointing,
the demonization of corporate America, the overregulation.
- Congressman is aware of the obstacles facing your company.
- When he becomes president,
pharma will have a friend in the White House.
- I don't know about all that,
but, uh, I do hope you consider me an ally.
All this tax talk must be boring for you two.
- No, not at all, Congressman.
You had me at lowering capital gains rate.
- Justin, take it easy tonight.
Tomorrow's an early day.
Gold.
- Congressman Howard,
meet Danny Quiñones, AKA "Q."
I told you about him.
- Oh, yes! Of course.
I'm glad you decided to make it.
Catalina tells me you're a major influencer.
- He is. He reps a clothing line,
a vape brand, um, a photo-sharing app?
- For what it's worth,
I got about 40 million Insta followers.
- There's a lot of teenagers
that'll be vote eligible in '24.
- Know this guy?
- Well, it looks like he's got a net worth of $120 million,
he guest DJs at Triller,
and he's followed by Dua Lipa, Lizzo, Billie Eilish...
Oh, Olivia Rodrigo. - Who?
- Treat Q right, he'll lead us to the Promised Land.
- I'm all about the youth, you know what I'm saying?
And I don't see a lot of it here.
- I have some young activists in our hospitality suite.
- Care to "caucus"?
- If that means party, hell freaking yes.
- [chuckles]
- Amazing how these guys find each other.
- Players always do.
[elevator dings]
- It's on. - It's about time.
- Welcome to politics,
where the men are fours and the women are tens.
- Wow, those girls look like--
- Girls?
Bother you?
- No. I peaked in high school.
- Well, they're just peaking today.
They'll do anything you want,
and anything you haven't even thought of.
[upbeat dance music]
- May I present Jenna and Hayden.
- It's good to see you again.
- Hi. - And this is Q.
You might recognize him from the interwebs.
- I want to be on that "Teens Run the World" platform.
- Those interviews are cool.
- Maybe you two can be next. Take my info.
Where are you guys coming from?
- Jersey. Not too far.
- Transporting a minor across state lines
for immoral purposes. That's a felony.
Absolutely.
- You know, you two play your cards right,
and you could be the next Fiddle and Faddle.
- Who's that?
- Interns JFK used to frolic with
at the White House pool during lunch.
Those are code names.
- The White House?
I'll drink to that.
- [chuckling]
You feeling okay?
If you need to lay down...
Ooh, got you.
- I feel funny.
What was in my drink?
- That's just bubbles.
Lots and lots of little bubbles.
- He roofied her drink.
Assault in the second degree. Felony number two.
- No, wait! - It's all right, hey.
- Now we're looking at attempted rape.
That's all I need. - We gotta go.
We gotta stop this. - Go
- I don't want to do this. No, I--
[tense music]
♪
- Go.
- NYPD, hands up. Hands up.
♪
Party's over, Congressman. - She's of age.
I did nothing wrong. - Up against the wall.
Face the wall!
- Easy, easy.
Don't do something you'll regret later.
- Jenna.
Jenna. - What's going on?
- You're okay. He's in trouble.
You'll be fine.
- Ah, ah. - You good?
- The hell is this? You set me up?
- Not a word, Q. Lawyer up.
They can't prove a thing.
- It was just a dance, I swear to God.
You can ask her. - Yeah, just keep talking.
- I was invited! He set me up.
- Get him out of here.
- He set me up! - Hey.
- All right, guys. Take off these bracelets.
And make sure you bag those flutes.
The champagne was probably laced.
Oh, sorry, Joe Velasco.
I'm on the job. - Nice try.
- We didn't know anything about a UC.
- Hey, hey, hey, it was a "need to know."
Call Tommy.
Chief McGrath?
.
- Yes, Chief, we're maintaining your UC's cover.
He's in holding with Congressman Howard.
I will let them know. You're welcome.
Chief McGrath sends his thanks to the entire team.
- Would have been nice to know who the entire team was.
There's a UC on the job,
McGrath, Garland, don't let us know?
- Close the door.
[door clicks]
Garland didn't know.
McGrath told me not to tip anyone off.
The UC's name is Joe Velasco.
McGrath's apparently his rabbi.
- McGrath doesn't even trust Garland?
That's not good.
- How long are we keeping "Q" in holding?
- Until Congressman Howard's lawyer gets here.
I mean, maybe he'll get him talking.
- Would that be admissible?
- Let's let the lawyers sort it out.
[phone buzzes]
Kat. Okay.
Rollins is on her way to meet you.
They gave Jenna fluids and a sedative.
She's lucid.
- All right, we need to make sure that they run her urine.
Is her family there?
- The mother's on her way from Jersey.
Talk to Jenna before she gets there.
I'll have Carisi get a warrant for her phone.
[light knock] - Captain?
- Yes. - Howard's lawyer is here.
He says he'll only talk to you.
- Put him in Interrogation.
- So, what'd the doctor say about your ankle?
- It's fractured.
He had to reset it, and that was...crunchy.
It's too swollen for them to do surgery on it.
- And that's why you should go home.
I can handle this.
- I know you can, Fin.
But I can't tell McGrath
that I have a sitting Congressman in holding
and I need a sick day.
- [coughing] Ahh.
Hey! What's the big deal?
We were just partying. - I'll ask again.
You need me to get you a lawyer?
- I got one. And this won't stick.
If the girls brought the drugs.
Two phone calls from you, we're out of here!
- Compadre, listen.
These guys are looking to take me out.
Don't say anything.
- There's nothing to say.
- Congressman, your lawyer's here.
- Hey. Hey!
I still need to make a call. - I'll be back.
- [coughing]
- Ahh, Sarge, Sarge, Sarge.
Can't you put me somewhere else?
- Sorry.
- [coughing continues]
- You called my parents without asking me?
- You're 16, Jenna.
- I wasn't doing anything.
- You had Rohypnol, alcohol, pot, and MDMA in your system.
- I don't do Ecstasy.
All I take is Addy. I bought it online.
I have ADHD.
- So how do you know Congressman Howard?
- I met him on a class trip to D.C.
He took photos with all of us.
He asked for my number to text me the pictures.
He follows me on Insta.
- Did you live in his district?
- No, I'm from Bayonne.
I told him I was interested in politics,
solving climate change.
He said he could get me an internship.
- How often did you see him?
- Mostly in the summer.
He'd send a car service. Parties at his house.
He had a Fourth of July party on a yacht.
- Did he ever get physical with you?
- What do you mean? - You know what we mean.
- Jenna, you are not in any trouble, okay?
Whatever happened, that's on him.
- Nothing happened.
- He drugged you.
He took you back to his bedroom.
Have you two ever had sex?
- Not "sex" sex.
I give him massages.
That's not illegal. He told me so.
He went to law school.
- You guys had your fun.
Keeping my client, a United States congressman,
in a holding cell overnight?
- He's under arrest, Mr. Gold. - On what probable cause?
- Well, the girl that he drugged and put in his bed,
she was 16 years old.
- First of all, anything she took must have been hers.
And her vaccination card said she was 18.
- Come on, as a lawyer, you gotta know that
that's no excuse. - Nothing happened.
She must have taken something. She seemed dizzy.
I helped her lie down, administered CPR--
- With your pants unzipped. - Let's just stop right here.
- Do you always party with teenage girls
after a fundraiser?
- My client is single. He has a spotless record.
We all know this is a political witch hunt.
- All right, let's move on from the girl, then.
You're a regular visitor at the Holt Tower apartments
in Manhattan.
- Yes, I am. My mother has a pied-à terre
overlooking the park.
- Okay. So which one of these
is your mother?
- I don't know any of these women.
- Really? Because they know you.
And we have security footage of you on their floor.
So can you explain that to me, please?
- Due diligence. Inspecting their apartments.
Part of my duty as a member of the housing sub-committee.
- Enough, Justin, this is a goddamn fishing expedition.
I understand it's every ADA's wet dream
to take down a presidential contender,
but we're done.
- Hey, actually, one more question.
Who put you up to this? My party or theirs?
- Oh, nobody us up to this. You see, we're SVU.
You're a sexual predator. So guess what happens next?
- Congressman Howard.
On the charges of sex trafficking, rape 3,
facilitating a sex offense with a controlled substance,
and attempted rape, how do you plead?
- Not guilty, Your Honor. As I've said repeatedly,
this is a political move by the NYPD and the DA's office.
- Not the time nor the place, Counselor.
People on bail? - We ask for remand.
- Remand? For a sitting congressman?
He has an obligation to his constituents.
- He's looking at 20 years in prison.
- If it will help you sleep better, Counselor Carisi,
I'll ask the congressman to surrender his passport.
- Uh, ten seconds, folks.
- Chief. Garland's not here yet.
- Well, maybe that's for the best.
We don't need any questions about his relationship
with Catalina Machado.
- Okay, Chief.
- [clears throat]
Good afternoon.
I'm joined by Captain Benson of SVU, ADA Carisi,
and attorneys from the SDNY.
After an exhaustive investigation,
today we announce the arrests
of Proud Life director Dr. Catalina Machado,
congressional aide Ruben Ortiz,
and New York state congressman George Justin Howard,
who, along with other unnamed co-defendants,
will be charged with sexual assault
and sex trafficking.
- Celia? - We know that there are
more victims out there
who were given subsidized housing...
- Why isn't this on my schedule?
- We are asking you to come forward.
- I'm sorry, I didn't know.
- No one notified you? - No.
- Are you--are you sure you didn't miss an email?
- We are convening... - I'll check.
Maybe it went to spam.
Should I call McGrath's office?
- No. Thank you, Celia.
- To uphold the public trust. Thank you.
- Okay, um, we can take some questions, if you like.
[tense music]
[batteries clatter]
♪
.
- Mm. Chief.
- Good morning. How are you feeling?
- I'll live.
Listen...
about the press conference.
I never would have gone
if I knew that you weren't coming.
- All good. I spoke to McGrath.
- You did?
- He was surprised I wasn't there, too.
He apologized.
Must have been a communication error from his office.
Things are moving pretty fast.
He said that's probably why he didn't tell me
we had a UC at the fundraiser.
- He said that?
That's, uh, not exactly what happened.
- Water under the bridge.
We play this right,
plenty of attaboys for everybody.
How close are we to an indictment?
- Well, we're prepping Catalina and Ortiz today
for the grand jury tomorrow.
- We trust Catalina?
- She's looking at 20 to life if she doesn't cooperate.
- I'm still trying to wrap my head around
somebody who's done so much good,
yet she got caught up in this.
- Chief... she didn't get "caught up."
She orchestrated it.
- I know, I know.
I was having a conversation with my wife last night,
talking about my own blind spots.
- Well, we all have them.
[dramatic music]
♪
- If I haven't made it clear,
I appreciate you pointing them out for me.
And for having my back?
- Always.
♪
- Congressman Howard invited me to his suite to party.
He said, some men like melons, some men like mangoes.
He told me he likes cherries.
Hey, I'm sorry. That's the way he talks.
- So you get to his suite, and who's there?
- He asked me to make sure that two former interns,
Jenna Evans and Hayden Smith, were in the suite.
- Do you remember what you told him?
- I reminded him that they were still in high school.
He told me, just make sure they have IDs.
- Did Congressman Howard ever express any interest
in high school girls before?
- That's when Congressman Howard told me he was tired
of the young mothers.
He asked me to find apartments
for mothers with teenage daughters.
- And you took that to mean...
- That I was to find homeless women
whose daughters would have sex with him
in exchange for subsidized apartments.
- And that was a clear quid pro quo?
- Ortiz said he was bringing his boss,
Congressman Howard, to Holt Tower.
He expected the VIP treatment.
- What did he mean by that?
- Look, I'm not gonna say he did anything.
- That's okay, Jenna.
We'll just ask you to tell the grand jury your age.
- I'm almost 17.
- And you went to the hotel bedroom with Howard
after he gave you a drink.
- I had to let him do whatever he wanted to me.
On my knees.
Forcing me.
And then he turned me over.
It hurt. But I couldn't scream,
because my son was in the next room.
- How often did he come
to your apartment in Holt Towers, Rosa?
- Two or three times a week.
He told me his mother lived in the building
and he could come over whenever he wanted to.
And if I didn't submit to him,
that he would tell Catalina
to send me back to the shelter.
- Thank you, Rosa.
- [whimpers]
- I'm days away from launching my political action committee.
No one's gonna believe these "victims."
- A grand jury will.
- They'll believe these homeless women
who get to keep their free apartments
if they testify? - Or Catalina?
She's lying to save her own ass.
She's been robbing Proud Life blind for years.
- So you knew that,
and yet you still asked her to introduce you
at your fundraiser.
- Let's not litigate who knew what when.
My client is willing to testify that Catalina offered
to bribe him with sexual favors
in exchange for supporting Proud Life.
- Not sexual favors. They're called rapes.
- Or these women are grifters.
The only reason the congressman went to Holt Tower
was to visit his mother.
And she'll make a better witness
than your rapist handyman or Dr. Machado.
- Look, you asked for this meeting.
So, you know, any deal offered means he goes on the registry,
and he does prison time. - [laughs]
I'm not going to prison.
I'm gonna be president.
- You know, I've seen a lot of powerful men
in this position, and they all thought
that they could commit crimes with impunity.
- I'm going to be president,
and I will not let a politically-motivated ADA
and a bitter woman cop who's spent her life
getting back at men take me down.
- Justin... - No, don't Justin me, Myron.
Tell them. Tell them.
Tell them who they're dealing with.
- We're well aware who you are, Mr. Howard.
- Are you?
Then you know this man right here makes two calls,
and you're gone, like that, from the ADA's office.
And you,
you're on traffic duty in Staten Island
with your old boss. - Excuse me?
- I need a moment with my client.
- Good luck.
- You should have kept your pants zipped.
Now you need to keep your mouth shut.
- I'm not going down for this, Myron.
- Not another word.
- You need to make this go away.
- Shut up, you idiot.
- Should we break this up?
- It's a private conversation.
We didn't see or hear any of this.
[tense music]
- I know you're gonna say no,
but we're in good shape.
Can you take a break?
[chuckles]
- You know what?
You're right.
Let me, uh...
let me take you to dinner.
- Seriously? You?
The night before your grand jury?
- Well, I got a UC, I got two informants,
wires, cameras...
Congressman Howard doesn't know it yet,
but he's a dead man walking.
- Let's go. Yeah.
[phone buzzes]
[phone ringing]
- Rollins. - Carisi.
[distant sirens wailing]
[tense dramatic music]
♪
- Guys. Please, come on!
You don't have to do this. Please, I'm begging you.
Please, no! No, no, no--
[groaning]
[shouting]
- [speaking Spanish]
[phone ringing]
- Hello? Hello!
Stop calling me. Stop calling me.
♪
Mijo. Mijo, wake up!
Wake up, come on. - Ma...
- We gotta go. Get out of bed.
- We're checking security cam footage,
but passersby claim that they saw Catalina jump.
- Find Rosa and find Jenna now.
♪
.
[wolf howls]
.
[wolf howls]