![Bernie Sanders refuses to answer when pressed on FBI bank fraud investigation of his wife](https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=18900905&width=980&quality=85)
Sen. Bernie Sanders appeared to become very agitated when CNN's Erin Burnett pressed him on reports that his wife was under FBI investigation for alleged bank fraud. (Image Source: YouTube screenshot)
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) grew agitated when he was asked by CNN's Erin Burnett on Tuesday whether his wife, Jane Sanders, was the subject of an investigation by the FBI over possible fraud in a failed land deal from her days as president of Burlington College.
"We understand your wife has hired a lawyer to represent her in a possible probe into a land deal that fell apart," Burnett said. "This was back when she was president of Burlington College—"
"No, it was not when she was, oh," Sanders interrupted, "let me say a word about that, you know."
"I just want to ask you," Burnett continued, "do you know if she's under FBI investigation?"
"Excuse me," Sanders interjected, "my wife is about the most honest person I know. When she came to that college, it was failing financially and academically. When she left it, it was in better shape than it had ever been."
"Five years later, just at the moment, coincidentally no doubt, when I'm a candidate for president of the United States, Donald Trump's campaign manager, a co-chair, vice chairman of the Republican Party in Vermont launched this investigation," he continued.
"So all that I will tell you now, Erin, it is a sad state of affairs in America," Sanders added, "not only when we have you know politicians being destroyed ... when there are attacks against elected officials, when you're going after your wife, people's wives, that is pretty pathetic, and that's where we are right now, and that's about all that I'm going to say."
"I do just want to understand though," Burnett pressed, "at this time, do you have any knowledge as to whether she's under FBI investigation?"
"That's all that I want to say, and we'll let it play out," he responded. "But I think it's fairly pathetic that when, you know, people are involved in public life, it's not only that they get attacked, but it's their wives and their families that they get attacked. That's what this is about."
The investigation involves a $10 million loan that Jane Sanders secured for Burlington College to purchase 33 acres of land. Investigators believe Sanders might have embellished the financial health of the institution in order to obtain the loan. When the donations she promised didn't materialize, the college defaulted. Prosecutors may also be looking into whether Sen. Sanders used his political position to encourage the loan.
This isn't the only scandal that has mired Sanders' post-presidential campaign life. After the terrible shooting targeting Republicans in Alexandria, Virginia, it was discovered that the shooter was an enthusiastic supporter of Sanders while spewing vile comments on social media against Republicans.
Sanders denounced the violence but many reminded him of how he tried to pin the 2011 shooting of Democratic Rep. Gabby Giffords (Ariz.) on former Alaska governor and one-time GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.