June 01, 2017 11:10 AM UTC

Punish journalists and government officials for Russia story, says former candidate for U.S. Senate

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• by: Jason Salzman

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

A Republican who ran for U.S. Senate last year in Colorado stated on Facebook this week that “The whole Trump colluded with Russia line is BS.”

Colorado businessman Jerry Natividad, who once defended Trump’s widely publicized comments about undocumented immigrants being “rapists,” recommended that journalists and government officials should be punished for “pushing” the Russia collusion story.

“Heads should roll in government and media for pushing it,” Natividad added in his Facebook message.

Credible news stories about Russian interference in the 2016 election do not claim Trump colluded with Russia, but instead reporters are covering the investigation into whether the Trump campaign, with our without Trump’s involvement, colluded with Russian hackers and others.

A call seeking an explanation from Natividad was not returned.

Natividad’s comments reflect those of U.S. Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), who said last month that the news media is “inventing this Russia story.“