White House Claims Campaign Chairman Had ‘Limited’ Role

The White House is trying to distance the administration from its former campaign chairman as the furor grows over the investigation into Russian interference in the presidential election.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer claimed Monday that Paul Manafort, who directed the strategy behind election efforts for three months, had a limited role for a limited amount of time.

Spicer ignored a follow-up request for clarification, given Manafort's position.

Spicer claimed Manafort "was brought on sometime in June and by the middle of August he was no longer with the campaign," said Spicer. "Meaning that for the entire final stretch of the general election, he was not involved."

Manafort served as campaign chairman for a period of 99 days from May 19 to Aug. 19. During that time, Trump won six Republican primary contests, clinched the number of delegates needed for the party's nomination, chose Mike Pence to be his running mate and attended the Republican National Convention, where he accepted the GOP's bid and launched his general election campaign.

In August, officials in Ukraine said Manafort’s name was included on a list of "black accounts" made by the former Ukraine President Victor Yanukovych, a supporter of Russia's President Vladimir Putin.