Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of California is known as America's most pro-Russian member of Congress.
And lately, he's been under intense scrutiny. The New York Times reports the Russian government attempted to recruit Rohrabacher for espionage, and the congressman didn't deny it when we asked him about it.
"Russian intelligence has been after me since I was a teenager," Rohrabacher told Newsy on Thursday. "I have always assumed and even now I assume that anyone from the Russian Embassy who wants to make contact with me is an intelligence officer. It's kind of insulting that the FBI thought they needed to warn me."
In House testimony this week, former CIA head John Brennan explained why and how Russia recruits within the U.S.
"The Russians frequently will do that through cutouts, or through false flag operations," Brennan said. "They won't identify themselves as Russians or as members of the Russian government and they will try to develop a relationship with that person. Over time, they will try to get individuals to do things on their behalf."
Rohrabacher's support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his agenda often puts him at odds with his Republican colleagues, as seen in a leaked audio recording from GOP leadership reported by The Washington Post.
"There's two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump," House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said in the leaked tape. McCarthy later said it was all a joke, and Rohrabacher agrees.
When asked if he is or has ever been paid by the Russians, Rohrabacher said: "The big clear answer is N-O. No. Never. And by the way, he never said he believed that. I think he said think. And he was joking. Everybody laughed."
