Confirming the existence of a "confidential human source," House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, R-N.C., said the intelligence gathering on individuals connected to the Trump campaign started before the official FBI investigation, which begs some questions about who directed it.

"What we do know is that there was indeed a confidential human source — what the FBI would call it that — was actually giving intel, not only to the FBI," Meadows told CBS's "Face the Nation." "But you have to ask the question when did it start? We do know that actually those confidential human sources were engaging prior to the official FBI investigation.

"So the question begs — at whose direction, you know — what were they collecting and who were they reporting to? Because that was happening before the FBI actually opened an investigation. And so as we know that — and we know that from nonclassified sources — there is no question that there was a spy that was collecting information."

Regardless of the reasons for placing the informant, Meadows says, spying on any political campaign violates some ethical standards.

"And at what point do we as Americans say it is not right to spy on a campaign," Meadows told host Margaret Brennan. "Whether it's Donald Trump's or Bernie Sanders', it's not right."

Meadows proceeded to outline why the informant's intel was not used to inform the Trump campaign of the potential Russian meddling, as opposed to be used to open an FBI investigation after the fact.

"If the FBI knew it was going on, why did they not do a defensive briefing?" Meadows asked Brennan. "Why did they not go to the nominee and say, 'by the way here is a problem: You've got somebody that you've never met — Carter Page, who had never met the president — that is having inappropriate contact with someone; we want to make you aware of it.'

"Why was that never done? And it still to this date has never been done."