Michael Flynn

It is puzzling to some that Flynn, in his former position at the Defense Intelligence Agency, had to have known that communications from the United States to the Russian Federation were being monitored (eavesdropped.) question


theguardian.com:
Senior White House Official refuses to say if Trump Supports Michael Flynn

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/12/michael-flynn-national-security-donald-trump-russia


In December, weeks before Trump’s inauguration, Flynn spoke with Russia’s
ambassador, Sergei Kislyak, by phone. He and vice-president Mike Pence denied
that he spoke with Kislak about sanctions placed on high-level officials by the
US government, which could have violated a federal law that bars private citizens
from interfering in diplomatic disputes.

On Thursday, however, nine current and former officials told the Washington
Post that Flynn had in fact discussed sanctions, imposed over Russian actions in Ukraine and hacking political parties in the 2016 US election.

A spokesman for Flynn subsequently reversed course, saying the former general
“couldn’t be certain” that he had not discussed sanctions. The White House said
Pence had only heard about the call from Flynn.


Flynn may have violated the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution when he received a fee to speak at the 10th anniversary of RT in Moscow in 2015. Flynn will not say how much he received but he does acknowledge that he received a fee. It has been reported that Flynn received $1 million.

The Emoluments Clause provides that retired military officers are prohibited from accepting payments from foreign governments. The Defense Department has made clear that this applies to retired officers because they continue to occupy positions of trust. This is all set out in a letter to James Mattis, Secretary of Defense, which was sign by Elijah Cummings, John Conyers, Jr., Adam Schiff, Adam Smith, Bennie Thompson and Eliot Engel.

https://democrats-oversight.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/documents/2017-02-01.%20EEC%20Smith%20Conyers%20Thompson%20Schiff%20%26%20engel%20to%20Mattis.DOD_.re_.Flynn_.pdf


This guy is BAD news (immigration ban and roundups--25% weren't criminals!)...especially creepy in light of the news about the Russian dossier (certain parts confirmed by security agencies)...is it SOP for NSA to travel everywhere with Prez, ie this weekend and sitting in the front row of press conf with Trudeau?



Trump is looking for a possible replacement for Flynn. Petraeus is scheduled to meet with Trump this week. Flynn can't be fired until a replacement is found.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/trump-flynn-replace-kushner-234977



He's gone. I'm sure the next one won't be any better.


Resigns for 'inadvertently briefing the vice president with incomplete information'. No acknowledgement that what he failed to mention in that briefing shouldn't have happened in the first place.


The first scapegoat of many to fall.


Do we have any idea who was behind his contact with Russia? Did he do it on his own? Or was it at the behest of Trump, or Bannon, or that creepy guy with the dead eyes?


Flynn deleted his Twitter account, but it's all archived here for reference:

http://www.trumptwitterarchive.com/#/archive/account/genflynn



Replacement will be an important test--D "give away state secrets" Petraeus--"you can't be serious"???????



berkeley said:

Replacement will be an important test--D "give away state secrets" Petraeus--"you can't be serious"???????

If it is Petraeus, at least he's not a conspiracy theorist/Muslim hater like Flynn.

eta - Petraeus' story is about infidelity. He leaked classified info, but it wasn't for any nefarious purpose. But I'm not sure that he could receive the security clearance that he would need for the job.


CNN is reporting that Robert Hardwood is the top contender for the spot. He's a retired Navy Seal and a good friend of James Mattis.

Robert Harward, a Navy Seal, served as Deputy Commander of the United States Central Command when it was under the command of General James Mattis, who is now secretary of Defense. He served on the National Security Council for President George W. Bush and commissioned the National Counter Terrorism Center.
Upon retirement in 2013 after a nearly 40-year career in the Navy, Harward took a post as a chief executive officer for defense and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin in the United Arab Emirates. Trump has recently been in very public negotiations with Lockheed over the cost of its F-35 fighter jet program.
http://www.startribune.com/white-house-names-possible-shortlist-for-flynn-replacement/413676073/



The Washington Post and NYT broke the story about Flynn. Fake news. Lying press. Sad.


Trump - "The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington?"

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/831510532318429184


I do love the Wikileaks response.

"Trump's National Security Advisor Michael Flynn resigns after destabilization campaign by US spies, Democrats, press"



dave23 said:

I do love the Wikileaks response.

"Trump's National Security Advisor Michael Flynn resigns after destabilization campaign by US spies, Democrats, press"

Who writes their stuff? Is it Fox News, or is it Russia? Nowadays, is there a difference?



dave23 said:

I do love the Wikileaks response.

"Trump's National Security Advisor Michael Flynn resigns after destabilization campaign by US spies, Democrats, press"

The Kremlin response.


And you know the world has really flipped upside down when Matt Lauer is asking tough questions.


So true.

dave23 said:

And you know the world has really flipped upside down when Matt Lauer is asking tough questions.



Washington Post story on Russian lawmakers who are upset

MOSCOW — Leading Russian lawmakers
rushed to defend President Trump’s former national security adviser on
Tuesday after he resigned for misleading senior White House officials,
including Vice President Pence, about his contacts with Russia.

The heads of the foreign affairs committees in both Russia’s upper and
lower houses of parliament chalked up Michael Flynn’s resignation to a
dark campaign of Russophobia in Washington, and said it would undermine
relations between the White House and the Kremlin.


When Flynn went to RT's 15th Anniversary fest he was reportedly paid one million dollars and got to sit at Putin's table.

Russia invested and now its wasted. No wonder they're pissed.


We have too much worship of the military in this country. I respect what the troops do, but I don't believe that everyone who graduates from a service academy is automatically among the best and brightest in this country. Why is every nominee for this position a general? I'd rather see an experienced NSA bureaucrat.


Trump has a fetish for generals. It's got to be related to his relationship with his father or his time spent in military school (or both).

FilmCarp said:

We have too much worship of the military in this country. I respect what the troops do, but I don't believe that everyone who graduates from a service academy is automatically among the best and brightest in this country. Why is every nominee for this position a general? I'd rather see an experienced NSA bureaucrat.



because this is what tinpot despots do.

FilmCarp said:

We have too much worship of the military in this country. I respect what the troops do, but I don't believe that everyone who graduates from a service academy is automatically among the best and brightest in this country. Why is every nominee for this position a general? I'd rather see an experienced NSA bureaucrat.



It's not just Trump. It's everyone. I go do a Devils game and we are all supposed to get up and applaud any service member they choose to honor. How about teachers?


That tweet by Trump is vintage Trump. That is how he operates and that is how he keeps his base occupied.


Teachers deserve a standing ovation, too. But I'm not going to begrudge a desire to single out, for salutes, those whose jobs put their lives on the line. (Police officers and firefighters often receive deferential treatment in this context, too.)


Flynn is a lying sack of excrement; Petraeus is no better.


So what's the over/under on whether Flynn will be investigated and/or called to testify before Congress? I'm still reeling from the e-mail server *scandal* which seems so trite in comparison.



ElizMcCord said:

So what's the over/under on whether Flynn will be investigated and/or called to testify before Congress? I'm still reeling from the e-mail server *scandal* which seems so trite in comparison.

Unlikely.

The Trump admin knew about this for a month. They thought they could suppress this. Only when it was leaked to the media and it became public did they throw Flynn out. Trump himself has not shown any displeasure with Flynn. His displeasure is with the leakers.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/02/14/trump-says-the-real-story-is-illegal-leaks-following-flynns-resignation/

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/14/flynn-russia-trump-putin-relationship

Except for McCain, the Republican congressional response is that Flynn's resignation has settled this matter.


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