Congressman tries to broker White House pardon for Julian …

A U.S. congressman tried to convince the Trump administration to pardon WikiLeaks Julian Assange in exchange for evidence proving Russia did not hack the emails of key Democrats during the 2016 presidential campaign, according to a report.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), who is known for his pro-Russia stance, called White House chief of staff John Kelly on Wednesday in an attempt to broker a deal, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Rohrabacher suggested the White House pardon Assange, who remains confined to the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid arrest and extradition by the U.S., if the Swede turned over a computer drive with files showing Russian intelligence was not the source of the hacked emails.

U.S. intelligence agencies determined in January that Russia hacked into the email accounts of the Democratic National Committee among other prominent party figures like Hillary Clintons campaign chairman John Podesta.

The hacked emails, which were published on WikiLeaks, were damaging to Clintons presidential bid and part of a broader effort Russia played in tipping the election to Donald Trump.

But Rohrabacher has spoken out against the U.S. intelligence communitys findings.

After he visited Assange in London in August, Rohrabacher said the WikiLeaks founder emphatically stated that the Russians were not involved in the hacking or disclosure of those emails.

Kelly reportedly told Rohrabacher to contact the intelligence community instead, and did not alert President Trump to the proposal.

Rohrabacher, who is known for backing the legalization of marijuana, cited a conspiracy theory on Thursday that left-wingers orchestrated the violence that erupted at white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, Va., last month.

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