The administration that makes Nixon look like an apostle of Christ, has done nothing but lie about everything to everybody!

The Obama administration said Thursday that a $400 million cash payment to Iran seven months ago was contingent on the release of a group of American prisoners.

It is the first time the U.S. has so clearly linked the two events, which critics have painted as a hostage-ransom arrangement.

State Department spokesman John Kirby repeated the administration's line that the negotiations to return the Iranian money — from a decades-old military-equipment deal with the U.S.-backed shah in the 1970s — were conducted separately from the talks to free four U.S. citizens in Iran.

But he said the U.S. withheld the delivery of the cash as leverage until Iran permitted the Americans to leave the country. 

Speaking on CNN Thursday night, Kirby pushed back at those who interpreted what he said today as confirmation that the U.S. paid 'ransom' to Iran.  

'First of all this is Iran's money,' he said. 'No. 2 I think the way ransom works is you have to pay first and then you get your hostages back, and that's not what happened here.' 

 Admission: John Kirby, the State Department spokesman, said Thursday that paying $400 million to Iran had been 'contingent' on release of prisoners held by the regime