(ANTIMEDIA) — Photos of former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a December 2015 dinner have made the rounds on the internet over the past year, but now it’s a bit more serious.

The Senate Intelligence Committee is now investigating Stein for possible “collusion with the Russians.” The committee members are not only probing for ties between the former presidential candidate and the Kremlin, but they are also actively investigating an accusation that the Clinton campaign paid for research that went into the Steele dossier alleging Trump engaged in an “extensive conspiracy” with Russia during a 2013 trip to Moscow.

According to Stein, in December 2015, she and Michael Flynn were invited to attend a dinner celebrating the 10th anniversary of RT, Russia’s state-owned English-language news outlet. At the dinner, Stein and Flynn were seated at the same table as Putin. While in Moscow, Stein agreed to take part in a panel of foreign policy experts at a forum organized by the news network.

Dennis Trainor Jr., a former Stein campaign employee, believes the committee is interested in “vilifying anyone who’s ever appeared on or talked with anyone on the RT network.”

The committee’s chairman, North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, was asked Monday what the committee could be looking for from the Stein campaign. He responded, “collusion with the Russians.”

Jill and our campaign will not be intimidated by this BS. https://t.co/jfYFaS6Opy — Ajamu Baraka (@ajamubaraka) December 18, 2017

Earlier this year, investigative journalist Abby Martin was mentioned in a report by the Director of National Intelligence. A paragraph criticizing RT called Martin’s show, which aired on RT two years prior, a “propaganda vector marking the beginning of the Kremlin attempt to subvert American democracy.”

Recently, press credentials of RT America journalists on Capitol Hill were revoked following the forced registration of RT as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Complying with Senate Committee request, Jill Stein urges safeguarding elections from interference – while cautioning against the targeting of political opposition pic.twitter.com/YuHsBWJA0Z — Dr. Jill Stein? (@DrJillStein) December 19, 2017

On Monday evening, a statement appeared on Stein’s website expressing her intent to comply with the investigation but cautioning against sensationalized media reports that undermine credible journalism.

Her supporters voiced their opinion on Twitter:

It’s really incredible that @DrJillStein has spoken publicly, in-depth about every possible aspect of her Russia trip and the RT dinner w Putin and Flynn and a lot of media outlets still act like it’s a huge mystery and Stein hasn’t been forthcoming. She has been. — jeremy scahill (@jeremyscahill) December 19, 2017

I met with Jill Stein in 2016. She never spoke in Russian, not even once 😉 Other things she didn’t do:

✅Make me want to vote Trump

✅Force HRC not to go to Wisc/Mich

✅Collude w/DNC & Superdelegates pic.twitter.com/CCkYWYcgJE — MiamiGator (@GeoffMiami) December 18, 2017

Absurd targeting of Jill Stein once again shows that a central aim of the "Russia investigation" has always been to constrict the range of what is seen as acceptable political opinion: classic dissent-stifling tactic — Michael Tracey (@mtracey) December 19, 2017

Since sitting at the same table with Putin makes Jill Stein a Russian agent, gues who else is a Russian agent: pic.twitter.com/F3ei7abLIW — Amir (@AmirAminiMD) December 19, 2017

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