Rep. André Carson (D., Ind.) said on Monday that President Donald Trump hired some of his top aides because of their Russian connections, offering no proof to support his claim.
Carson castigated Trump's team of advisers during a House Intelligence Committee hearing at which National Security Agency Director Adm. Michael Rogers and FBI Director James Comey were present to testify.
The Indiana Democrat also cited an unsubstantiated dossier by a former British intelligence agent, Christopher Steele, noting that the documents' contents have not been verified
"There's a lot in the dossier that has yet to be proven," Carson said.
He then turned to some of Trump's staffers, including those who were part of his presidential campaign.
"In fact, there's also one pattern I want to point out before yielding back," Carson said. "[Paul] Manafort, fired. [Carter] Page, fired. [Michael] Flynn, fired. Why? They were hired because of their Russian connections."
"They were fired, however, because their connections became public, they were effectively culpable, but they were also the fall guys," Carson added.
The congressman did not offer specific evidence to show the president hired some of his top aides mentioned because of their connections to Moscow.