Joshua Roberts/Reuters
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, the author of the controversial Republican memo alleging FBI wrongdoing and anti-Trump bias, has reportedly begun operating his own news outlet to combat “fake news.” The California Republican, a little known conservative news site unearthed by Politico on Sunday, is reportedly paid for by Nunes’ campaign committee, according to a disclaimer in small print at the bottom of the site. The website was down Sunday, but headlines cited by Politico suggest the site takes aim at Trump critics and mainstream media. “CNN busted for peddling fake news AGAIN!,” one headline reportedly read, while another mocked California Rep. Ted Lieu, a Trump critic, for “making a fool of himself” on CNN. Anthony Ratekin, Nunes’ chief of staff, declined to provide comment on Nunes’ involvement with the news site. “Until Politico retracts its multitude of fake stories on Congressman Nunes, we will not go on the record,” he was quoted as saying. With about 3,700 followers on Facebook, The California Republican was absent on Twitter until Politico revealed its existence. In its first tweet ever on Sunday, the news site said, “We are real news, POLITICO.”