Overview
- Sen. Roger Wicker and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen sent a bipartisan letter Friday to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent seeking a full accounting of the trip.
- The delegation comprised Russian State Duma members under U.S. sanctions, including Vyacheslav Nikonov, Mikhail Delyagin, and Boris Chernyshov, who met lawmakers on a visit organized by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and toured the Capitol.
- The senators asked for the legal basis for any sanctions waivers, details of meetings with U.S. officials, any counterintelligence reviews, a complete travel manifest, and an explanation for the aircraft’s landing.
- The letter argues the visitors aimed to advance Kremlin goals, including gathering intelligence, and it cites allegations that some have helped Iran target U.S. personnel in the Middle East.
- No public response from the administration has been reported, and the request could trigger more oversight as concerns rise over a pro-Kremlin legislature engaging U.S. institutions during active conflicts.