MSNBC: W.H. Says It ‘Would Be Inappropriate’ to Comment on Manafort’s Ties to Russian Billionaire

EXCERPT:

[clip starts] 
HORWITZ: "What our research found and what these memos demonstrate is that Paul Manafort was a guy who had the contacts, who had the sort of geographic involvement, and who certainly had the willingness to work as a gun for hire here to promote the Russian government -- I mean, quite literally the Putin government as he was writing in these memos." 
[clip ends]
GEIST: "That’s Jeff Horwitz of the AP filling us in earlier this morning. And joining us now is NBC News White House correspondent Peter Alexander with more detail on the report of potential fallout and the response from the White House? Peter, good morning." 
ALEXANDER: "Hey, Willie, good morning to you. First of all, let’s get right to that reaction from the White House. I spoke to Press Secretary Sean Spicer about an hour ago, and this is what he told me. He said, quote, 'It would be inappropriate to comment on a person who is not a White House employee'."