Mike Pence Denies Contacts With Russia During Campaign

Vice President-elect Mike Pence denied Sunday that the Trump campaign had any contacts with Russia during the campaign.

Repeatedly pressed on the issue on “Fox News Sunday,” Pence eventually answered directly, saying, “Of course not.”

“Why would there be any contacts between the campaign” and Russia, he said.

He added that questions about contacts with Russia during the campaign were part of an attempt to cast doubts on the legitimacy of Trump’s election.

“This is all a distraction, and it’s all part of a narrative to delegitimize the election,” Pence said. “The American people see right through it.”

Pence also denied that Trump’s incoming national security adviser, retired Gen. Michael Flynn, spoke to Russian officials in December about sanctions that had been announced as retribution for Russian hacking in the election.

“I talked to General Flynn yesterday, and the conversations that took place at that time were not in any way related to new U.S. sanctions against Russia and the expulsion of diplomats,” Pence said.