“So an individual… who worked with a Russian entity a decade ago is subject to rampant media speculation all day long, even though the Clintons had more extensive ties,” White House press secretary Sean Spicer said, as he attempted to characterize a double standard. | AP Photo White House attacks Clintons in pushback against Manafort allegations

White House press secretary Sean Spicer attacked former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in response to a report raising concerns about former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s connections to Russia.

“So an individual… who worked with a Russian entity a decade ago is subject to rampant media speculation all day long, even though the Clintons had more extensive ties,” Spicer said, as he attempted to characterize a double standard.


Manafort had allegedly designed a plan to advance the interests for Russian President Vladimir Putin and undermine anti-Russian opposition in Eastern Europe while working for a Russian billionaire, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.

Spicer cited a deal he said the United States made when Clinton was secretary of state that gave Russia one-fifth of the U.S. uranium reserve. He said after this deal was made, former president Clinton gave a paid speech to a bank connected with the deal, for which Putin called and thanked him for.

He also said Tony Podesta, a Clinton campaign fundraiser and brother of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, lobbied against sanctions for Russia’s largest bank last year. He also said John Podesta sat on the board of a Russia-based energy company.

Some of these allegations surfaced during the campaign, and the Clintons denied any wrongdoing.

The FBI is currently investigating allegations that Russian officials meddled in the 2016 election, including the possibility of collusion between Trump associates and Russian officials, FBI Director James Comey confirmed Monday.

Spicer reiterated Trump has no business dealings in Russia. He added there has been no evidence suggesting collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials.

“They have seen zero evidence of any collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials, and that’s not going to be changed by the former business dealings of a campaign staffer from a decade ago,” he said.

Spicer backed away from his statement Tuesday that Manafort, who worked on the campaign from March until August last year, had played a “very limited role." That statement had raised eyebrows from Trump allies and critics alike.

“I know I commented on this the other day and clearly should have been more precise with respect to Paul's role,” Spicer said.

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Although Manafort was initially hired to manage delegate operations in case there was a brokered convention, he led the campaign over the summer, including during the Republican National Convention. He helmed the campaign from Corey Lewandowski’s firing as campaign manager in June until August, when he left the operation amid reports of his business connections with pro-Russian Ukrainian leaders.

Spicer commented on the allegations despite an assertion earlier Wednesday from White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who said, "We do not feel it's appropriate to comment on someone who is not an employee at the White House."

Trump was not aware of Manafort’s clients when he hired him to join the campaign, Spicer said.

“To suggest the president knew who his clients were from a decade ago is a bit insane,” Spicer said.

