Michael Flynn Jr., the son of incoming national security adviser Michael Flynn who helped spread the so-called Pizzagate conspiracy, has no involvement in President-elect Donald Trump’s transition, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said on Tuesday.

“Gen. Flynn’s son has no involvement in the transition whatsoever,” Pence said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Tuesday.

Pence admitted later Tuesday afternoon that he had understated the son’s role. During a somewhat tense CNN interview, anchor Jake Tapper repeatedly pressed Pence as to whether he was aware that the transition had asked for Flynn Jr. to receive a security clearance.

“I said this morning that his son had no involvement in the transition, but I have talked to Gen. Flynn,” Pence said. “His son was helping him a bit with scheduling and administrative items. But that’s no longer the case.”

During a conference call with reporters, Jason Miller, a spokesman for the Trump transition team, said Flynn Jr. was helping his father with “administration” and “scheduling” but is “no longer involved with transition efforts.”

Their comments came in response to a CNN report that Flynn Jr., who has reportedly served as his father’s chief of staff, was given a transition team email account.

Flynn Jr. has come under fire for promoting the fake news story that alleged Comet Ping Pong, a Washington pizzeria, was the center of a sex ring involving Hillary Clinton and her campaign chief, John Podesta.

Related: Pizza shop owner rips fake news after gunman opens fire

The #Pizzagate conspiracy began in late October during the FBI’s investigation into emails discovered on the laptop of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin’s estranged husband, disgraced former New York Rep. Anthony Weiner. A tweet claiming that the NYPD was looking into evidence of Clinton’s involvement in an “international child enslavement ring” made its way to fringe message boards and websites.

The fake news reports apparently led a North Carolina man who was “self-investigating” the baseless story to open fire inside the restaurant on Sunday.

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The 28-year-old gunman, Edgar Maddison Welch, told police he traveled to Washington from Salisbury, N.C., to free the child sex slaves that never existed.

But the incident did not deter the younger Flynn, who remained defiant.

“Until #Pizzagate proven to be false, it’ll remain a story,” Flynn Jr. tweeted. “The left seems to forget #PodestaEmails and the many ‘coincidences’ tied to it.”

Until #Pizzagate proven to be false, it'll remain a story. The left seems to forget #PodestaEmails and the many "coincidences" tied to it. https://t.co/8HA9y30Yfp — Michael G Flynn???????? (@mflynnJR) December 5, 2016





He then retweeted a tweet from Jack Posobiec, special projects director for CitizensForTrump.com, who suggested that the gunman was an actor carrying out a “false flag” operation on behalf of the U.S. government.

CNN’s Jake Tapper then sent Flynn Jr. a series of private messages sharply criticizing him for peddling in conspiracies.

“Michael, the police called pizza gate a fictitious conspiracy theory,” Tapper wrote. “Does someone have to die before you take this s*** seriously?”

Those messages were subsequently tweeted by both Flynn and Posobiec.

U decide – NYPD Blows Whistle on New Hillary Emails: Money Laundering, Sex Crimes w Children, etc…MUST READ! https://t.co/O0bVJT3QDr — General Flynn (@GenFlynn) November 3, 2016





Both Flynns have used their social media accounts to spread false news stories about the Clintons.

On Nov. 2, the elder Flynn shared a fake news story linking Clinton to sex crimes with minors, falsely stating that the NYPD was close to bringing charges against the Democratic nominee.