Spicer Admits WH Connected Reporters With Officials Critical Of NYT Story
Source: Talking Points Memo
By MATT SHUHAM Published FEBRUARY 27, 2017, 2:32 PM EDT
White House press secretary Sean Spicer denied he acted inappropriately when he asked government officials to bat down news reports that members of the Trump campaign had repeated contact with Russian nationals.
During a press briefing Monday, one reporter asked Spicer to comment on a report Monday morning, seemingly from Axios, that Spicer “reached out directly” to CIA Director Mike Pompeo to ask him to knock down a New York Times report that members of the Trump campaign had repeated contacts with Russian nationals, including intelligence officials.
Axios reported Monday morning that Spicer had contacted Pompeo, as well as Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Richard Burr (R-NC), to ask them to discredit the Times’ reporting to other journalists. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA) also volunteered to give his phone number to journalists, according to Axios.
Spicer began by referencing an another report, that White House chief of staff Reince Priebus had asked the FBI’s deputy director to bat down the same story. The FBI deputy director, Andrew McCabe, reportedly denied the White House’s request.
Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/spicer-addresses-connecting-reporters-with-government-officials
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