Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) on Tuesday fired back at Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) after he said Democrats are using probes of Russian election meddling to excuse losing the 2016 presidential race.

Nunes, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, reportedly made the comments to GOP donors behind closed doors.

“The Democrats don’t want an investigation on Russia,” he said during a recent private dinner fundraiser, according to the Los Angeles Times. “They want an independent commission.”

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“Why do they want an independent commission? Because they want to continue the narrative that [Russian President] Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump Donald John TrumpObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE are best friends, and that’s the reason that he won,” Nunes added. “[It’s] because [2016 Democratic presidential nominee] Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonWhat Senate Republicans have said about election-year Supreme Court vacancies Bipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death Trump carries on with rally, unaware of Ginsburg's death MORE would never have lost on her own. It had to be someone else’s fault.”

Swalwell, who also serves on the House Intelligence Committee, hit Nunes for the remarks, saying on CNN Tuesday that "it's not true."

“I’m disappointed because our committee before this investigation has always worked very well together. So I hope we can find our way again," Swalwell said. "The American people are counting on us to protect this democracy and also fulfill our national security duties."

Swalwell added that Nunes is wrong for suggesting only Democrats desire an independent commission for probing Russian election intrusions last year.

“If we don’t have free and fair elections, what do we have in this country? So I hope both parties put aside politics and just get to the bottom of what happened.”

Nunes last month recused himself from his panel’s investigation of Russian election meddling amid a House ethics probe.

Trump earlier Tuesday tweeted that the Russian actions are “a lame excuse for why Dems lost the election” in 2016.