The already-spicy Wisconsin Senate debate took an odd turn Thursday after Republican nominee Sen. Ron Johnson said a meeting between himself and the FBI in 2020 was a “corrupt” setup while answering a question about U.S. policy in Ukraine. At that briefing, the FBI warned Johnson that Russia could be targeting him with misinformation. “The FBI set me up with a corrupt—with a corrupt briefing—and then leaked that to smear me. I am… he is referring to corruption at the FBI which I have been trying to uncover and expose,” Johnson said, drawing laughter from the raucous crowd. Johnson’s opponent, Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, has referenced the briefings as part of a conversation on the Russia-Ukraine war. Johnson and Barnes are in a heated contest for the Wisconsin Senate seat—with Johnson inching ahead in recent weeks as messaging on crime seems to be taking a toll on Barnes’ standing.
