As Obama Slams Iran "Ransom" Allegations, He Refuses To Answer One Simple Question

Unable to keep the $400 million cash drop to Iran off the front pages, the Obama administration came out swinging today with denials, conspiracy-theory-accusations, and allegations of biased reportingas the mainstream media was forced by the striking actions of The White House to ask uncomfortable questions.

Bloomberg reports that critics of Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran say the payment was ransom, a contention the White House has strongly denied; that it will encourage Iran to take more Americans hostage; and that it’s likely the money will be funneled into terrorist groups.

“If true, this report confirms our longstanding suspicion that the administration paid a ransom in exchange for Americans unjustly detained in Iran," House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, said in a statement.

"It would also mark another chapter in the ongoing saga of misleading the American people to sell this dangerous nuclear deal."

Obama administration officials have, of course, dismissed the controversy as old news, noting that the settlement was fully disclosed by the White House and State Department at the time the Iran nuclear deal was announced.

“The United States of America does not pay ransom and doesn’t negotiate ransoms with any country -- we never have and we’re not doing that now," Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday in Buenos Aires.

As The Hill reports, President Obama chastised the press for their coverage of the payment, noting that the deal with Iran was announced months ago as part of a larger diplomatic settlement.

"This wasn’t some nefarious deal," Obama said.

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