"Is it possible that the Republican chairman of the House Intel Committee has been compromised by the Russians? Is it possible that we actually have a Russian agent running the House Intel Committee on the Republican side?" Heilemann asked.
Murphy stammered in his response.
"I-I-I-I hope that's not the case," he said. "I certainly have no information to suggest that it is."
"Doesn't his behavior speak of that, though?" Heilemann asked. "I mean, I'm not the first person who's raised this. He's behaving like someone who's been compromised, and there are people in the intelligence community and others with great expertise in this area who look at him and say, ‘That guy's been compromised.'"
Murphy said he didn't have that expertise and there are Republicans who simply act instinctually in defense of Donald Trump.
"I don't necessarily know that there's another explanation," Murphy said.
Later in the show, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D., Calif.), who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, appeared on the program and Heilemann repeated the question.
"Congressman Nunes, your chairman, it is suggested not by me but by people who follow these matters closely, could he possibly be someone who has been compromised by the Russians?" Heilemann asked. "Is that something that you consider a possibility?"
MSNBC Analyst Asks Democrats if Devin Nunes Has Been ‘Compromised,’ Become a ‘Russian Agent’
so you don't just oppose them ideologically ... they must also be an agent of a foreign gov.
Murphy stammered in his response.
"I-I-I-I hope that's not the case," he said. "I certainly have no information to suggest that it is."
"Doesn't his behavior speak of that, though?" Heilemann asked. "I mean, I'm not the first person who's raised this. He's behaving like someone who's been compromised, and there are people in the intelligence community and others with great expertise in this area who look at him and say, ‘That guy's been compromised.'"
Murphy said he didn't have that expertise and there are Republicans who simply act instinctually in defense of Donald Trump.
"I don't necessarily know that there's another explanation," Murphy said.
Later in the show, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D., Calif.), who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, appeared on the program and Heilemann repeated the question.
"Congressman Nunes, your chairman, it is suggested not by me but by people who follow these matters closely, could he possibly be someone who has been compromised by the Russians?" Heilemann asked. "Is that something that you consider a possibility?"
MSNBC Analyst Asks Democrats if Devin Nunes Has Been ‘Compromised,’ Become a ‘Russian Agent’
so you don't just oppose them ideologically ... they must also be an agent of a foreign gov.
