10 November 2016, 18:51 GMT
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Earlier on Thursday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said there were contacts between Russian officials and members of Trump’s campaign during the election, according to media reports.
Earnest did not comment on the reports, but said President Barack Obama’s team also consulted with foreign officials during the 2008 election campaign.
"I don’t think there’s anything inherently nefarious about that," Earnest told reportes.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also told US media that the discussions were normal practice, adding that Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s team had denied offers for similar talks.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Trump on his victory and voiced hope that joint work would resolve the crisis in US-Russian bilateral ties.
