MAGA rep's CNN interview goes off the rails: 'I'm not admitting anything!'

A Republican congressman exploded when a CNN anchor tried to pin him down on accepting campaign cash from a GOP colleague accused of abusing his ex-wife and daughter.

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) was among 16 GOP incumbents to receive contributions from Rep. Max Miller's (R-OH) Dependable Conservative Leadership PAC, and CNN's Dana Bash asked him about a statement from his campaign spokesman saying he would not give back a $10,000 donation from this campaign cycle.

"Well, first of all, there'sbeen a lot of allegationsleveled," Lawler said. "I know Max very well.I've talked to him personallyover the last two years aboutthis very difficult familysituation. It's tragic; Idon't think anybody disagreesabout that. But this issomething that should play outin family court. I think thefact that some in the media and my Democratic colleagues havetried to turn it into aspectacle and, you know, usethis situation for politicalpoints is wrong."

Lawler then tried to turn the tables by bringing up a contribution to his opponent from disgraced former New York governor Eliot Spitzer.

"But look, myopponent, Cait Conley, tooktens of thousands of dollarsfrom Eliot Spitzer, whoadmitted to trafficking youngwomen across state lines for thepurpose of prostitution andsexually abusing them," Lawler said. "She's not returned thosefunds."

Spitzer resigned as governor in 2008 after federal authorities found he had paid tens of thousands of dollars to a high-end escort service to transport sex workers to New York from out of state, but he was never charged with a crime in the case.

"So I'm asking youspecifically about Max Miller," Bash said. "So it sounds like you saidyou've talked to him a lotprivately, right? It sounds likeyou're saying that you're notreturning the donations because you believe him."

"Look, this is a privatefamily matter thatunfortunately has spilled outinto the public," Lawler responded. "It should beadjudicated in family court. Maxhas been accused. Max has alsomade accusations against hisex-wife. It is tragic, andobviously I don't condone anylevel of abuse. But ultimately,there's been nothing that hasbeen corroborated here, which ispart of the reason why Max iscontinuing to run forre-election."

Bash continued to press the congressman on why he didn't give back the donation in light of the allegations, and Lawler asked whether Conley should give back the donation from Spitzer.

"I don't have an opinion on that either way," she said. "I'm just asking you a question."

"But you were," Lawler insisted. "Butyou were asking me about anunverified allegation versus averified allegation in which theformer governor resigned indisgrace because he sexuallyabused young women."

"This has been hugely in the news," Bash interrupted. "This isyour sitting colleague in Congress, and you're talkingabout something that happened two decades ago."

"But you just admitted," Lawler cut in. "You just acknowledged –"

"I'm not admitting anything," Bash fired back. "I'm telling –

"You just acknowledged that youdon't have evidence to verifythe allegation," Lawler argued. "I'm simplysaying, if you're going to godown that road, then hold everybody to the same standard."

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