The White House asked the FBI to publicly dispute reports about President Donald Trump s team communicating with Russian officials during last years presidential campaign, CNN and The Associated Press reported Thursday.

Such communication would mark a breach in protocol intended to prevent the White House from meddling in the agencys investigations. Per a 2007 Justice Department memo , the White House should advise the department on criminal and civil enforcement only where it is important for the performance of the presidents duties and where appropriate from a law enforcement perspective.

The request reportedly came earlier this month after the New York Times and CNN reported on the Trump teams constant contact with Russia throughout the 2016 election. The White House denied those stories.