The grandson of former president Jimmy Carter told NBC News Tuesday he played a role in leaking to Mother Jones magazine the controversial video of Mitt Romney speaking at a Boca Raton fundraiser.

James Carter IV said he played middle man in getting the video to Mother Jones reporter David Corn.

In the video, recorded with a hidden camera on May 17 and made public Monday night, Romney makes statements viewed by some as damaging to his Republican presidential campaign.

Asked during a Fox News interview Tuesday afternoon if he knew the younger Carter was taking credit for making the video public, a surprised Romney said: “I had not heard that.”

According to the NBC News story, Carter IV told Daily Intel “he first noticed online a part of the video in which Romney discusses Chinese labor when working at Bain Capital. Then, as additional footage was added, he tracked down the originating source of the footage and put that person in touch with Corn,” the website said.

Carter said he emailed his grandfather the magazine's story about the videotape. The ex-president’s response: “James: This is extraordinary. Congratulations! Papa.’’

To read the full NBCNews.com story, click here.