Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) issued a statement on Friday to clarify remarks he made when asked about President Trump’s culpability in relation to Michael Cohen’s hush-money payments, calling his initial reactions “irresponsible” and a “poor reflection of my lengthy record of dedication to the rule of law.”

“While I don’t believe Michael Cohen is any kind of reliable voice in this process, I have expressed confidence in Bob Mueller and his investigation countless times, including writing in the Wall Street Journal that he must be allowed to complete his investigation,” he said in his statement. “Last October, when Paul Manafort and Rick Gates were indicted, I said, ‘I believe that it’s in the best interest for all parties involved to allow Bob Mueller to conduct a full and vigorous investigation.’ More recently, this August I acknowledged that the campaign finance allegations were “some serious charges, and they can’t be ignored.”

When CNN reporter Manu Raju asked about the allegations earlier this week, Hatch was dismissive. He blamed Democrats for the allegations and when he was informed that it was the Southern District of New York that made the claims about Trump’s possible crimes, he said “Okay, but I don’t care.”

“All I can say is he’s doing a good job as president,” he told CNN at the time.