Washington (CNN)Rep. Steve Scalise may have attended a gathering of a white supremacist group, David Duke, the former Klu Klux Klan leader who founded the group said on CNN Saturday. "I've got conflicting reports," Duke told CNN's Michael Smerconish. "One person said that he was a no-show, that he was scheduled to come — one person said that he did come. I just don't know what the truth is." Duke added that "it seems that Mr. Scalise thinks he may have. That's why he's — he's covering himself." Duke was in Russia at the time of the 2002 conference of the European-American Unity and Rights Organization, considered by many civil rights groups to be a hate group. The event in question has drawn intense scrutiny after a local Louisiana political blogger uncovered comments on an online forum suggesting Scalise spoke there in 2002.David Duke said Saturday that Rep. Steve Scalise "may have" attended a gathering of his group in 2002He defended the group as similar to African American or Hispanic rights groupsDuke threatened to "name names" of lawmakers who have sought his support
"He was not a member of my organization — he was an early young representative who just got elected in _, and he was pushing a tax program, and he was coming to constituents.