Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) on Wednesday said that U.S. campaigns should not be cooperating with Russia after reports surfaced that President Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort shared polling data with a Russian national and met with the Russian in Spain.
“We shouldn’t be cooperating with Russia at all when it comes to our elections. Period,” Bacon told Hill.TV’s Krystal Ball and Buck Sexton on “Rising.”
“I don’t care if you’re on the Republican side, Democrat side,” he continued. “I think it should be a red flag anytime, regardless of party, when you want to meet with anybody from a foreign service to talk about our elections.”
“Our elections are our elections. Those are internal to our country, and we don’t want other countries involved or influence,” he said.
“We have a history of doing the same. Democracies are meant for their people to make these decisions,” he added.
Bacon’s remarks come after a court filing revealed that Manafort shared polling data with Konstantin Kilimnik, who the FBI says is connected to Russian intelligence.
Manafort also met with Kilimnik in Madrid and said he may have discussed a Ukraine peace strategy, according to the filing.
The filing was included in sealed responses to special counsel Robert Mueller’s accusations that Manafort breached a plea agreement by lying to federal prosecutors.
Mueller and his team are investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion between the Kremlin and members of the Trump campaign.
— Julia Manchester
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