Russian state-owned news outlet Sputnik has applied for a White House press pass, Politico reported Friday.
Sputnik is applying to be a member in the White House Foreign Press Group, which would give it a chance to be a part of a group of about 22 foreign outlets covering Trump alongside pool reporters from U.S. news sources.
{mosads}The White House Foreign Press Group head Philip Crowther told Politico that if Sputnik meets the required criteria, there “shouldn’t be any reason” for the Russian publication to not join the press pool.
The requirements would include a membership in the White House Correspondents’ Association, a verification by the State Department that Sputnik is based in Russia, and a White House-approved hard pass.
Sputnik, one of the newer Russian state-sponsored outlets, was launched in 2014.
It has been criticized for adopting a strong pro-Kremlin position and serving as a mouthpiece for Moscow.
FBI Director James Comey on Monday confirmed that the bureau is investigating Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election — including any links or coordination between members of President Trump’s campaign and Moscow.
Trump’s team has been plagued by persistent accusations of links to Russia. The U.S. Intelligence Community concluded that the Kremlin interfered in the election specifically to help Trump won, and blamed Moscow for the hacks of Democratic groups that led to a series of damaging leaks.