WASHINGTON – DNC Senior Adviser Zac Petkanas issued the following statement:

“The latest White House’s spin around Russia is mind-bogglingly nonsensical garbage that intentionally misses the point.  Members of the Trump team have gone to extraordinary lengths to keep their Russia meetings a secret – including lying to reporters, the FBI, the public and under oath before Congress.  What’s even more suspicious is that these secret meetings were happening while the Russians were actively trying to help Donald Trump get elected.

“If there is nothing going on here, why have Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Michael Flynn, Carter Page, Jeff Sessions, Sean Spicer, Reince Priebus and Paul Manafort all falsely denied there was contact?”

TRUMP FLATLY DENIED THAT ANY MEMBER OF HIS STAFF WERE IN CONTACT WITH RUSSIAN OFFICIALS DURING THE CAMPAIGN

1/11/17: Trump Flatly Denied That Any Member Of His Staff Were In Contact With Russian Officials During The Campaign. “President-elect Donald Trump held his first press conference in nearly six months on Wednesday, lambasting the circulation of unverified allegations about his dealings with Russia while continuing to advocate for a warm relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.  Trump did not specifically address questions regarding whether members of his staff were in contact with Russian officials during the campaign. When NBC News repeated that question to Trump afterwards as the president-elect approached the elevator to exit the room, he answered ‘No.’” [NBC News, 1/11/17]

TRUMP SAID THAT REPORTS OF HIS ASSOCIATES HAVING CONTACT WITH RUSSIAN OFFICIALS DURING THE CAMPAIGN WERE “CONSPIRACY THEORIES”  

Trump Said Reports On His Associates’ Contact With Russian Officials During The Campaign Were “Conspiracy Theories And Blind Hatred.” TRUMP: “The Fake News Media Is Going Crazy With Their Conspiracy Theories And Blind Hatred. @MSNBC & @CNN Are Unwatchable. @Foxandfriends Is Great!” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 2/15/17]

SEAN SPICER RE-AFFIRMED TRUMP’S COMMENTS THAT NOBODY FROM HIS CAMPAIGN HAD CONTACT WITH RUSSIAN OFFICIALS BEFORE THE ELECTION

2/14/17: Sean Spicer Stood By Donald Trump’s Prior Comments That Nobody From His Campaign Had Contact With Russian Officials Before The Election. “The F.B.I. declined to comment. The White House also declined to comment Tuesday night, but earlier in the day, the press secretary, Sean Spicer, stood by Mr. Trump’s previous comments that nobody from his campaign had contact with Russian officials before the election.  ‘There’s nothing that would conclude me that anything different has changed with respect to that time period,’ Mr. Spicer said in response to a question.” [New York Times, 2/14/17]

MIKE PENCE SAID THAT THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO CONTACT BETWEEN THE TRUMP TEAM AND RUSSIAN OFFICIALS DURING THE CAMPAIGN

CBS News: “Vice President-Elect Mike Pence Said Sunday That There Was Absolutely No Contact Between The Trump Team And Russian Officials During The Campaign — And That One Adviser’s Call With The Russian Ambassador The Same Day Sanctions Were Announced Last Month Was ‘Strictly Coincidental.’” “Vice President-elect Mike Pence said Sunday that there was absolutely no contact between the Trump team and Russian officials during the campaign — and that one adviser’s call with the Russian ambassador the same day sanctions were announced last month was ‘strictly coincidental.’ ‘Of course not,’ Pence told CBS’ ‘Face the Nation,’ asked whether anyone from the campaign was ever in touch with Russia. “I think to suggest that is to give credence to some of these bizarre rumors that have swirled around the candidacy.” News reports in recent days have suggested officials with Mr. Trump’s campaign were in frequent contact with Russian officials during the election season, which the transition team has denied. However, Gen. Michael Flynn, Mr. Trump’s incoming national security adviser, has spoken several times with Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak in recent weeks: The Washington Post reported that “several” calls between the two men occurred on Dec. 29, the day President Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats from the U.S. and imposed new sanctions over Russia’s attempts to influence the U.S. presidential election. ‘Actually it was initiated when on Christmas Day, he had sent a text to the Russian ambassador to express not only Christmas wishes but sympathy for the loss of life in the airline crash that took place,’ Pence said, noting that he has discussed the issue with Flynn. ‘It was strictly coincidental that they had a conversation, they did not discuss anything having to do with the United States’ decision to expel diplomats or impose censure against Russia.’ He added that Flynn has been in touch with diplomatic leaders in approximately 30 countries – ‘that’s exactly what the incoming national security adviser should do,’ he said.” [CBS News, 1/15/17]

PAUL MANAFORT DENIED BEING IN CONTACT WITH RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS DURING THE CAMPAIGN

Paul Manafort Denied Being In Contact With Russian Intelligence Officials During The Campaign: “I Have Never Knowingly Spoken To Russian Intelligence Officers, And I Have Never Been Involved With Anything To Do With The Russian Government Or The Putin Administration Or Any Other Issues Under Investigation Today.” “Mr. Manafort, who has not been charged with any crimes, dismissed the officials’ accounts in a telephone interview on Tuesday. ‘This is absurd,’ he said. ‘I have no idea what this is referring to. I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers, and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today.’  He added, ‘It’s not like these people wear badges that say, ‘I’m a Russian intelligence officer.’’” [New York Times, 2/14/17]]

·         Paul Manafort Said He Had Never “Knowingly” Spoken To Russian Intelligence Officials, But “It’s Not Like These People Wear Badges That Say, ‘I’m A Russian Intelligence Officer.’” “I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers, and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today.’  He added, ‘It’s not like these people wear badges that say, ‘I’m a Russian intelligence officer.’ ‘” [New York Times, 2/14/17]

·         Paul Manafort: “I Don’t Remember Talking To Any Russian Officials, Ever. Certainly During The Time We’re Talking About… I Have Knowingly Never Talked To Any Intelligence Official Or Anyone In Russia Regarding Anything Of What’s Under Investigation.” “In an interview, Manafort emphatically denied that he was in contact with Russians known to US intelligence. ‘That is 100% not true, at least as far as me,’ he said. ‘I cannot believe that they are including me in anything like that. I have not been involved in any of these activities.’ Manafort said he did not know where US officials got the idea that he was in contact with suspected Russian operatives during the campaign but said he never spoke with any Russian officials during that time. ‘I don’t remember talking to any Russian officials, ever. Certainly during the time we’re talking about,’ he said, calling the allegations ‘boggling.’ ‘I have knowingly never talked to any intelligence official or anyone in Russia regarding anything of what’s under investigation,’ he said. ‘I have never had any connection to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin or the Russian government before, during or after the campaign.’” [CNN, 2/15/17]

·         Paul Manafort: “There Was No Link, That I Am Aware Of, Between The Campaign Or Me With The Russian Govt And Anyone Associated With It.” “Manafort, who served as Trump’s campaign director for only several months before being removed, denied that the campaign had any link to Russia.  ‘In the campaign, the only conversations on any topic that related to Russia, hacking etc were those following the coverage in the news,’ Manafort said in his statement. ‘There was no link, that I am aware of, between the campaign or me with the Russian govt and anyone associated with it.’” [Bloomberg, 2/15/17]          

REINCE PRIEBUS SAID THAT FLYNN AND KISLYAK DID NOT DISCUSS THE SUBJECT OF SANCTIONS OR ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION

Reince Priebus On Flynn’s Calls With The Russian Ambassador: “But I Have Talked To General Flynn. None Of That Came Up And The Subject Matter Of Sanctions Or The Actions Taken By The Obama Administration Did Not Come Up In The Conversation.” TODD: “Can you say definitively that there was no promises, no winks, no anything that somehow there was an acknowledgement that these sanctions will be—will go away as quickly as possible once the inauguration takes place?” PRIEBUS: “So, Chuck, almost every single day, General Flynn talks to counterparts and ambassadors from all over the world, almost every single day. That‘s his job. So, as a national security adviser for those that don‘t know, one of his jobs is to be in constant communication with his counterparts and security issues all over—all over the world. The tick-tock on this is that on Christmas, the two of them texted each other ‘Merry Christmas’. A couple of days later, this ambassador texted General Flynn that he wanted to talk, and then the next day, they had a conversation which did happen to be that same day, but I have talked to General Flynn. None of that came up and the subject matter of sanctions or the actions taken by the Obama administration did not come up in the conversation. In fact, it was the sports team that was in an unfortunate plane accident. They talked about setting up a phone call after inauguration, and they also talked about a conference in Syria, and that conference in regard to ISIS in Syria. So, those were the only subjects that came up, but there was no controversy in General Flynn talking to his counterparts around the world.” [Meet The Press, NBC, 1/15/17]

MICHAEL FLYNN REPEATEDLY DENIED HAVING DISCUSSED SANCTIONS WITH RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR KISLYAK

Michael Flynn Repeatedly Denied Having Discussed Sanctions With Russian Ambassador Kislyak, Before A Spokesman Backed Away From The Denial Saying Flynn “Couldn’t Be Certain That The Topic Never Came Up.”  “Flynn on Wednesday denied that he had discussed sanctions with Kislyak. Asked in an interview whether he had ever done so, he twice said, ‘No.’ On Thursday, Flynn, through his spokesman, backed away from the denial. The spokesman said Flynn ‘indicated that while he had no recollection of discussing sanctions, he couldn’t be certain that the topic never came up.’” [Washington Post, 2/9/17]

Michael Flynn Vehemently Denied That He Had Discussed Sanctions During Phone Calls With Russian Ambassador Kislyak. “Flynn’s communications with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak were interpreted by some senior U.S. officials as an inappropriate and potentially illegal signal to the Kremlin that it could expect a reprieve from sanctions that were being imposed by the Obama administration in late December to punish Russia for its alleged interference in the 2016 election.  Flynn on Wednesday denied that he had discussed sanctions with Kislyak. Asked in an interview whether he had ever done so, he twice said, ‘No.’” [The Washington Post, 2/9/17]

MICHAEL FLYNN REPORTEDLY LIED TO THE FBI ABOUT NOT HAVING DISCUSSED SANCTIONS WITH RUSSIA’S AMBASSADOR

Flynn Denied In An FBI Interview That He Had Spoken About Sanctions With Russia’s Ambassador, Contradicting The Contents Of Intercepted Communications. “Former national security adviser Michael Flynn denied to FBI agents in an interview last month that he had discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with that country’s ambassador to the United States before President Trump took office, contradicting the contents of intercepted communications collected by intelligence agencies, current and former U.S. officials said.  The Jan. 24 interview potentially puts Flynn in legal jeopardy, as lying to the FBI is a felony, but any decision to prosecute would ultimately lie with the Justice Department. Some officials said bringing a case could prove difficult in part because Flynn may attempt to parse the definition of sanctions.” [Washington Post, 2/16/17]

CARTER PAGE REVERSED HIS STORY ON CONTACTS WITH THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT

HEADLINE: “In A Reversal, Former Trump Campaign Adviser Carter Page Now Says He Did Have Contact With Russia” [The Rundown, PBS NewsHour, 3/3/17]

During A February Interview, Carter Page Claimed That He Had “No Meetings” With Russian Officials In 2016, But During A March Interview, Page Said That He Would “Not Deny” Meeting With Russian Ambassador Kislyak During The Summer Of 2016.  “In February, former Donald Trump campaign adviser Carter Page told Judy Woodruff on the PBS NewsHour that he had ‘no meetings’ with Russian officials last year. ‘I might have said hello to a few people as they were walking by me at my graduation — the graduation speech that I gave in July, but no meetings,’ he added.  But on Thursday — the same day Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from federal probes into Russia after reports revealed he met twice with the Russian ambassador in 2016 — Page told Chris Hayes of MSNBC that ‘I do not deny’ meeting with the ambassador last summer in Cleveland, in an apparent contradiction.” [The Rundown, PBS NewsHour, 3/3/17]