State Dept. Spox on Russian Gov’t Interviewing Americans: Those Assertions Are ‘Absolutely Absurd’

EXCERPT:

REPORTER: "So does that mean, at least speaking for the State Department, that you would object to, oppose and not allow, not grant the Russian request or demand to interview a former ambassador, someone who used to work in this building?"
NAUERT: "And I believe some of that would fall under the Department of Justice, so I'd have to loop in the Department of Justice on this. This is something that just came out. I didn't get a chance to see the entire White House briefing a short while ago, so I will just tell you that Russian assertions are absolutely absurd at this point."