▁from ▁a ▁foreign ▁country ▁and ▁not ▁alert ing ▁the ▁F BI , ▁Stewart ▁def ended ▁him , ▁saying ▁that ▁if ▁the ▁information ▁is ▁" cred ible , ▁I ▁think ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁fool ish ▁not ▁to ▁take ▁that ▁information ." ▁According ▁to ▁Ellen ▁We int ra ub , ▁the ▁chair w oman ▁of ▁the ▁Federal ▁E lection ▁Commission , ▁it ▁is ▁illegal ▁for ▁a ▁campaign ▁to ▁accept ▁anything ▁of ▁value ▁from ▁a ▁foreign ▁person ▁or ▁entity ▁in ▁regards ▁to ▁a ▁U . S . ▁election . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁political ▁pol ling ▁and ▁reporting ▁website ▁Five Th irty E ight , ▁Stewart ' s ▁votes ▁aligned ▁with ▁Trump ' s ▁positions ▁around ▁ 9 6 % ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁( as ▁of ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 9 ). ▁Stewart ▁was ▁reported ly ▁under ▁consideration ▁to ▁serve ▁in ▁the ▁Trump ▁administration ▁as ▁Director ▁of ▁National ▁Int elligence , ▁but ▁Richard ▁Gren ell ▁was ▁ultimately ▁chosen ▁instead . ▁ ▁Pre viously , ▁during ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁Republican ▁Primary ▁election , ▁Stewart ▁had ▁been ▁critical ▁of ▁Trump . ▁Address ing ▁an ▁audience ▁ ▁at ▁the ▁Hin ck ley ▁Institute ▁of ▁Polit ics , ▁Stewart ▁compared ▁him ▁to ▁fasc ist ▁dict ator ▁Ben ito ▁M uss ol ini , ▁and ▁said ▁" if ▁some ▁of ▁you ▁are ▁Donald ▁Trump ▁supp or ters , ▁we ▁see ▁the ▁world ▁differently , ▁because ▁I ▁can ' t ▁imagine ▁what ▁someone ▁is ▁thinking ." ▁ ▁Mu eller ▁investigation ▁ ▁After ▁Att orney ▁General ▁William ▁Bar r ▁released