The White House declined to comment on new details on the death of DNC staffer Seth Rich after reports said he was communicating with Wikileaks before his unsolved murder in Washington D.C. last summer.
“I’m not aware of that,” White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer replied during a press gaggle with reporters at the White House, when asked by a reporter about the news.
Spicer added that it would be “highly inappropriate” to comment on the ongoing investigation into Rich’s death, despite the possibility of leaked emails to Wikileaks.
The Democratic National Committee also declined to comment on the investigation.
“We know of no evidence that supports these allegations. We are continuing to cooperate with investigators and have no further comment,” DNC spokesperson Xochitl Hinojosa said in a statement.
NBC News reported that Ed Butowsky, a conservative financial advisor in Dallas, helped pay for the investigation. Butowsky denied details in the story. “I didn’t pay anybody. I didn’t hire anybody,” he said to NBC News, referring further comment to Rod Wheeler, the former Washington, D.C. homicide detective who conducted the private investigation.
Wheeler revealed to Fox News that Rich was communicating with Wikileaks before his death, sparking renewed interest in the investigation. The news was confirmed by an anonymous federal investigator.
Rich’s family denounced the report in a statement, calling for facts in the case.
“We are a family who is committed to facts, not fake evidence that surfaces every few months to fill the void and distract law enforcement and the general public from finding Seth’s murderers,” they said.
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