CNN’s Jake Tapper pressed Rep. Jerry Nadler, a ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, on whether the latest developments in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe prove any illegal contact between the Trump campaign and Russia.

“Look, this is clearly not welcome news for the president,” Tapper said on The Lead. “But I look at these documents and I don’t see any evidence of conspiracy between members of the Trump team and members of the Russian government to interfere in the election.”

Nadler — who is expected to become the chairman of the committee when the Democrats take control of the House in January — dodged the question, instead claiming Cohen was “negotiating a corrupt business deal in Russia on behalf of the president during the campaign.”

“You call it a corrupt business dealing?” Tapper asked. “Not illegal, you just mean colloquially corrupt.”

“Yes,” Nadler agreed.

“But still no conspiracy?” Tapper pressed.

Nadler countered that while Trump kowtowed to Russia and Vladimir Putin during the 2016 campaign, he was negotiating with the Russian government for his business.

“Sure it stinks, I’m not saying it’s not, but it’s not conspiracy,” Tapper said.

“It may be conspiracy,” Nadler replied.

“Not to interfere with the election,” Tapper noted.

Nadler went on to argue “it’s another point of Trump’s close relationship with the Russians while he was denying it.”

Watch above, via CNN.

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