In a 2016 recording obtained by The Washington Post, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy stated he thought Russian President Vladimir Putin pays Trump, the news outlet reported Wednesday.
The recording of the private conversation between GOP leaders was from June 15, 2016, a month before Donald Trump won the Republican nomination.
According to the Post, McCarthy said, “There’s two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump,” followed by laughter from other lawmakers and McCarthy stating, “swear to God”.
A spokesman for House Speaker Paul Ryan said the comments never happened.
McCarthy’s spokesman Matt Sparks said the idea that McCarthy would say that is “absurd and false,” calling it a failed attempt at humor, he told the Post.
23ABC confirmed Sparks' comments to the Post.
This was an attempt at humor gone wrong. No surprise @WashingtonPost tried to contort this into breaking news.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) May 17, 2017
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