Spicer trying to cover up the NYTIMES story about Russian talks

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White House spokesman Sean Spicer orchestrated phone calls between outside officials and reporters to try to tamp down reports that Trump campaign officials had been talking to the Russians before the election, according to a report Monday.

Spicer arranged for CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Sen. Richard Burr, chair of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee, to dispute the news report and then stayed on the line to listen in, Axios reported, citing a senior administration official.

He also gave phone numbers of reporters from the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal to Rep. Devin Nunes, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, the report said.

The effort, according to Axios, was to discredit a New York Times article from Feb. 15 that campaign operatives had been in contact with Russian intelligence officials.

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