Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., rushed to the defense of Jeff Sessions, calling the attorney general a "principled man" who has "acted in the highest ethical manner."
"Attorney General Sessions was one of the first individuals to reach out to me after my election, and I consider him to be a true personal friend," Brat said in a statement on Wednesday.
"He is the principled man we need in such a key position of leadership in our country. I believe he acted in the highest ethical manner when he chose to recuse himself in March."
Sessions has been repeatedly criticized by President Donald Trump. Last week, the president told The New York Times he would never have appointed him attorney general if he knew Sessions was going to recuse himself from the Russia investigations.
And on Wednesday, Trump singled out Sessions for more criticism in a morning tweet.
But Brat continues to strongly back the attorney general.
"The Department of Justice has been politically-tainted for eight years under the leadership of Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch, now Attorney General Sessions is restoring integrity to the Department of Justice," he said.
"In retrospect, it is easy to Monday-morning quarterback on a decision made months ago. One thing is for sure: when Attorney General Sessions erred on the side of caution by recusing himself, he never could have foreseen the 24/7 full-throated obsession over Russia by the mainstream media
"The media's attacks have only escalated since Trump's inauguration. Fake news dominates. Anchors now make the news by opinion, instead of reporting objective reality. The president is frustrated with those who have called for his impeachment since day one. Their mission is clear. They refuse to honor the outcome of the election."
Brat said Sessions continues to follow Trump's orders while implementing the president's agenda on a daily basis.
"The goal of Democrats and their allies in the mainstream media is to divide two of the principal conservative populist leaders in the nation, and at this time we must all remain united," he said.
"Our words, policies, and messaging must meet the highest ethical standard as we all try to drain the swamp together. Attorney General Sessions deserves our praise for having the guts and the backbone to fight for this great country.
"Attorney General Sessions, stay the course."