Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) on Tuesday appeared agitated when CNN host Erin Burnett questioned him about the FBI investigation into his wife, Jane.
"We understand your wife has hired a lawyer to represent her in a possible probe into a land deal that fell apart. This was back when she was president of Burlington College," Burnett said, before getting cut off by Sanders who disputed her statement.
Burnett then tried to ask Sanders her question about whether he knew about the FBI investigation into his wife, but Sanders yelled over her.
"Excuse me, excuse me," Sanders shouted. "My wife is about the most honest person I know. When she came to that college, it was failing financially and academically. When she left it, it was in better shape than it had ever been."
Sanders then defended his wife by saying that the investigation into her was a politically motivated move by Brady Toensing, a chairman for the Donald Trump campaign in Vermont.
"All that I will tell you now, Erin, it is a sad state of affairs in America. Not only when we have politicians being destroyed ... when there are attacks against elected officials. When you go after your wife, people's wives, that is pretty pathetic and that's where we are right now, and that's about all I'm going to say," Sanders said.
Burnett followed up again and asked Sanders whether he had any knowledge of the FBI investigating his wife.
Sanders said that he would not talk about it anymore and will "let it play out."
"I think it's fairly pathetic that when people are involved in public life, it's not only they get attacked, but it's their wives and their families that get attacked. That's what this is about," Sanders said.
Sanders was asked the same question on Monday by Fox News producer Kara Rowland as they were walking near Capitol Hill. He dodged the question completely, opting to talk about health care instead.
Fox News correspondent James Rosen reported on the FBI investigation into Sanders' wife, who served as president of Burlington College from 2004 to 2011.
"The case centers on Jane Sander's tenure as president of Vermont's Burlington College from 2004 to 2011 and the loan application she filed in 2010 to help the school expand," Rosen reported. "Published reports allege Sanders claimed $2.6 million in pledges, but as the college spiraled into bankruptcy, Sanders reportedly raised less than $700,000."