In a story datelined from Kiev, Ukraine, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that McCarthy could be heard on a recording of a meeting from last summer saying “there’s two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump” and punctuating his remark amid laughter from his GOP colleagues by adding “swear to God.”
Ryan quickly interjected in an effort to keep the conversation private, telling the Republicans in the meeting “No leaks. … This is how we know we’re a real family here.” Spokesmen for both the speaker and majority leader initially denied that the conversation had ever occurred until the Post informed them that it had a recording of it, at which point Ryan’s spokesman changed tack and said McCarthy had been joking.