The following article by John T. Bennett was posted on the Roll Call website December 15, 2017:
‘There is absolutely no collusion,’ president contends
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.
Asked if he is considering pardoning Flynn, the president responded he did not yet want to talk about potential pardons for the retired Army three-star general. But, notably, the president did not rule out such a move.
“I don’t want to talk about pardons for Michael Flynn yet,” Trump said. “We’ll see what happens. Let’s see.”
Flynn has pleaded guilty to one count of misleading federal officials, and experts say his being charged with only a single count by special counsel Robert S. Mueller is a sign he is cooperating. Flynn was a senior adviser to Trump during the 2016 campaign.
“When you look at the committees, whether it’s the Senate or the House, my worst enemies, they walk out, they say, ‘There is no collusion, but we’ll continue to look.’”
Senate Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., has said that his panel’s Russia election meddling probe has so far turned up “a lot of smoke,” but no “smoking gun.”
View the post here.