GOP Rep. Rohrabacher defends Russian hacking on the House floor

Republican Reps. Louie Gohmert (Texas) and Dana Rohrabacher (Calif.) took to the House floor on Friday to defend Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting during the presidential election with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer who claimed to have compromising information about Hillary Clinton. Rohrabacher argued there's absolutely "nothing wrong" with Trump Jr.'s meeting, claiming that it's "not illegal to receive information from someone." Moreover, Rohrabacher said, like in the case of the leaked Democratic emails, "what's important is only whether the truth was revealed."

Gohmert marveled at Trump Jr.'s "pretty good judgment" in leaving the meeting when he realized it was "worthless" because the lawyer did not have the comprising information she'd claimed to have. "I wish that President Obama, Loretta Lynch, Hillary Clinton had as good of judgment in their meetings," Gohmert said.

Gohmert then echoed an unproven accusation leveled by President Trump the day before, claiming that former Attorney General Loretta Lynch had "personally stepped in to ensure" the Russian lawyer who met with Trump Jr. could be in the country. "It's just incredible how much is being made of Donald Trump Jr. meeting with somebody that Attorney General Loretta Lynch pulled all kinds of strings to get her in and keep her in the country," Gohmert said.

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Lynch has denied having anything to do with the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, obtaining a visa. The New York Times reported "there is no indication that Ms. Lynch was personally responsible for the decision" to grant immigration parole and noted that "approval authority lies with the Department of Homeland Security, not the Justice Department."