Tag: Michael Flynn

Mueller seeks to question Trump about Flynn and Comey departures

The following article by Carol D. Leonnig, Sari Horwitz and Josh Dawsey was posted on the Washington Post website January 23, 2018:

With indications that special counsel Robert Mueller is seeking an interview with President Trump, here are some burning questions his team will want to ask. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III is seeking to question President Trump in the coming weeks about his decisions to oust national security adviser Michael Flynn and FBI Director James B. Comey, according to two people familiar with his plans.

Mueller’s interest in the events that led Trump to push out Flynn and Comey indicates that his investigation is aggressively scrutinizing possible efforts by the president or others to hamper the special counsel’s probe. Continue reading “Mueller seeks to question Trump about Flynn and Comey departures”

The big problem with Trump’s strategy to attack Michael Flynn’s credibility: His own mouth

The following article by Aaron Blake was posted on the Washington Post website December 28, 2017:

President Trump has a history of defending his former national security adviser Michael Flynn. (The Washington Post)

The White House has fired a warning shot in Michael Flynn’s direction, with The Washington Post’s Carol D. Leonnig reporting that it plans to label him a liar who can’t be trusted if he makes claims against it.

The strategy isn’t that shocking — Trump seemed to preview it with that fateful tweet, and his lawyers have hinted in this direction too — though it makes it crystal-clear that Trump’s loyalty to his former national security adviser is far from absolute. Continue reading “The big problem with Trump’s strategy to attack Michael Flynn’s credibility: His own mouth”

Trump plots to undermine Flynn by employing his favorite old trick: Turning on his allies

The following article by Eric Lutz was posted on the mic.com website December 28, 2017:

So far, President Donald Trump has defended or sympathized with Michael Flynn — his short-lived national security adviser, who was brought down earlier in December by Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.

But now, worried over the songs he might be singing to the special counsel, Trump and his legal team are preparing to launch an attack on Flynn’s credibility, the Washington Post reported Wednesday — a shift on one of the president’s strongest allies, who was once considered a strong contender to be his running mate. Continue reading “Trump plots to undermine Flynn by employing his favorite old trick: Turning on his allies”

Trump legal team readies attack on Flynn’s credibility

The following article by Carol D Leonnig was posted on the Washington Post website December 27, 2017:

Former national security adviser Michael Flynn leaves a Washington courthouse following his plea hearing Dec. 1. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

President Trump’s legal team plans to cast former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn as a liar seeking to protect himself if he accuses the president or his senior aides of any wrongdoing, according to three people familiar with the strategy.

The approach would mark a sharp break from Trump’s previously sympathetic posture toward Flynn, whom he called a “wonderful man” when Flynn was ousted from the White House in February. Earlier this month, the president did not rule out a possible pardon for Flynn, who is cooperating with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Attorneys for Trump and his top advisers have privately expressed confidence that Flynn does not have any evidence that could implicate the president or his White House team. But since Flynn’s cooperation agreement with prosecutors was made public earlier this month, the administration has been strategizing how to neutralize him in case the former national security adviser does make any claims. Continue reading “Trump legal team readies attack on Flynn’s credibility”

White House Counsel Knew in January Flynn Probably Violated the Law

The following article by Murray Waas was posted on the ForeignPolicy.com website December 20, 2017:

Don McGahn was looking at whether the national security advisor violated federal laws just days after Trump moved into the White House.

The White House turned over records this fall to special counsel Robert Mueller revealing that in the very first days of the Trump presidency, Don McGahn researched federal law dealing both with lying to federal investigators and with violations of the Logan Act, a centuries-old federal law that prohibits private citizens from negotiating with foreign governments, according to three people with direct knowledge of the confidential government documents.

The records reflected concerns that McGahn, the White House counsel, had that Michael Flynn, then the president’s national security advisor, had possibly violated either one or both laws at the time, according to two of the sources. The disclosure that these records exist and that they are in the possession of the special counsel could bolster any potential obstruction of justice case against President Donald Trump. Continue reading “White House Counsel Knew in January Flynn Probably Violated the Law”

Trump’s suggestive comment about a Michael Flynn pardon, and the pattern behind it

The following article by Aaron Blake was posted on the Washington Post website December 15, 2017:

President Trump said on Dec. 15 that he doesn’t want to talk about pardoning Michael Flynn yet, and criticized the FBI. (The Washington Post)

President Trump offered a characteristically noncommittal — but suggestive — comment Friday about pardoning Michael Flynn.

“I don’t want to talk about pardons for Michael Flynn yet,” Trump said. “We’ll see what happens. Let’s see. I can say this: When you look at what’s gone on with the FBI and with the Justice Department, people are very, very angry.” Continue reading “Trump’s suggestive comment about a Michael Flynn pardon, and the pattern behind it”

The major tell in Trump’s comments about a possible pardon for Michael Flynn

The following article by Aaron Rupar was posted on the Think Progress website December 15, 2017:

One word of Trump’s response was particularly significant.

During a brief press scrum on Friday morning, President Trump was asked about if he would “consider a pardon for Michael Flynn.”

Flynn — Trump’s former national security adviser — recently pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his communications with Russia during the transition period following last year’s presidential election. The guilty plea indicated Flynn is cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of the Trump campaign for possible collusion with Russia. Continue reading “The major tell in Trump’s comments about a possible pardon for Michael Flynn”

Trump Doesn’t Rule Out Pardon for Michael Flynn

The following article by John T. Bennett was posted on the Roll Call website December 15, 2017:

‘There is absolutely no collusion,’ president contends

Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, at podium, and then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attend a campaign event in 2016. On Friday, the president did not rule out a pardon for his former national security adviser. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

President Donald Trump on Friday did not rule out pardoning former national security advisor Michael Flynn, and again contended “there was no collusion” between his campaign and Russia.

“There is absolutely no collusion,” the president said as he left the White House for an address at a graduation ceremony at the FBI Academy. “That has been proven.”

However, the Justice Department’s special counsel has yet to complete an investigation on just that point; the same is the case for the House and Senate Intelligence committees, which are continuing to examine that very matter — despite Trump’s assertion it is a closed matter. Continue reading “Trump Doesn’t Rule Out Pardon for Michael Flynn”

Focus on Flynn, Trump timeline suggests obstruction is on Mueller’s mind

The following article by Carol E. Lee and Julia Ainsley was posted on the NBC News website December 11, 2017:

WASHINGTON — Special counsel Robert Mueller is trying to piece together what happened inside the White House over a critical 18-day period that began when senior officials were told that National Security Adviser Michael Flynn was susceptible to blackmail by Russia, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.

The questions about what happened between Jan. 26 and Flynn’s firing on Feb. 13 appear to relate to possible obstruction of justice by President Donald Trump, say two people familiar with Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s election meddling and potential collusion with the Trump campaign. Continue reading “Focus on Flynn, Trump timeline suggests obstruction is on Mueller’s mind”

Flynn told former business associate that Russia sanctions would be ‘ripped up,’ according to congressional witness

The following article by Tom Hamburger was posted on the Washington Post website December 6, 2017:

As President Trump delivered his inaugural address on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in January , his new national security adviser, Michael Flynn, sent a text to a former business associate telling him that a plan to build nuclear power plants in the Middle East in partnership with Russian interests was “good to go,” according to a witness who spoke with congressional investigators.

Flynn had assured his former associate that U.S. sanctions against Russia would immediately be “ripped up” by the Trump administration, a move that would help facilitate the deal, the associate told the witness. Continue reading “Flynn told former business associate that Russia sanctions would be ‘ripped up,’ according to congressional witness”