A state-owned Russian news site reportedly applied for White House press credentials, and the move is sure to raise eyebrows

State-owned Russian news website, Sputnik, has reportedly applied for White House press credentials.

The news, first reported by Politico, is sure to raise eyebrows around Washington and the country considering the many questions and investigations surrounding the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.

Sputnik is applying to be a part of the White House Foreign Press Group. If approved, it would join 22 other foreign news agencies covering the White House.

RELATED:  Jake Tapper calls out Fox News for downplaying FBI director’s bombshell information about Russia and Trump campaign

The White House Foreign Press Group head Philip Crowther said that if Sputnik meets all the requirements – which include a membership in the White House Correspondents’Association, location verification by the State Department and a White House-approved hard pass – there “shouldn’t be any reason ” why the Russian publication can’t join the group, according to Politico.

The Hill reported that Sputnik, which was launched in 2014, has been criticized for taking a strong pro-Kremlin stance and being a “mouthpiece for Moscow.”

Sputnik isn’t the first surprising news organization to apply for a White House press credentials since President Donald Trump took office in January. Conservative news and sometimes conspiracy theory site, The Gateway Pundit, was recently approved for a press pass, a move that some reporters found offensive.

RELATED: Fox News Radio correspondent confronts Gateway Pundit reporter at White House press briefing