File this one under the topic of, huh?

After the FBI's James Comey said they are investigating Russia's ties to the Trump campaign, WH press Secretary Sean Spicer was forced to downplay Paul Manafort's role in the Trump campaign. Spicer told today's press briefing that Manafort had a very "limited role for a very limited amount of time."

Jonathan Karl first asked Spicer why Trump thinks the Democrats made up the Russian connection if the FBI admitted they are now investigating this issue.

Karl said, "[Comey] is vetting the nature of any links between any individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government and whether or not there was any coordination."

Spicer replied that an investigation is not proof of any wrongdoing, and then attacked the media (of course) for "searching for something that everybody who has been briefed hasn't seen or found."

Spicer's main goal was to distance the White House from any direct connections of those associates, people like Roger Stone who bragged on social media that they were meeting with Russians, etc.

Spicer said, "There is a fine line between people who want to be part of something that they never had an official role in and people who actually played a role in either the campaign or the transition."

Here's where Spicer begins to really lie. After saying that Trump is sticking with his original statements that he didn't know of any contacts his people had with the Russians, Spicer then tries to elaborate.

He painted Gen. Flynn as a "volunteer of the campaign" and then he dropped a whopper.

Spicer continued, "Obviously there has been discussion of Paul Manafort, who played a very limited role for a very limited amount of time. but beyond --"

Karl interrupted and said, "He was the chairman ..."

Spicer shut him down immediately and said, "can you stop interrupting other people's questions. -- hey, Jonathan, somebody is asking a question. It's not your press briefing. Julie is asking a question, please calm down. Julie."

Wow, just wow.

As soon as Paul Manafort was hired by the Trump campaign to stabilize it, but his hire raised lots of eyebrows because of his ties to Russia.

After about four months, Manafort resigned.

“This morning Paul Manafort offered, and I accepted, his resignation from the campaign,” Mr. Trump said in a statement. “I am very appreciative for his great work in helping to get us where we are today.”

To characterize Manafort as playing "a very limited role" in Trump's campaign is ridiculous, even for Spicer.