Posted on 01/13/2017 1:29:53 PM PST by amorphous
Tell us if you have heard this one before.
The Washington Post reports that two people familiar with the issue, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claim that President-elect Trump's choice for national security adviser, Michael Flynn, held multiple phone conversations with Russia's ambassador to Washington on the day the US announced retaliation for Moscow's interference in the election.
The phone calls were first reported by Washington Post columnist David Ignatius.
As Reuters reports, the conversations appear to raise further questions about contacts between Trump's advisers and Russian officials at a time when U.S. intelligence agencies contend that Moscow waged a multifaceted campaign of hacking and other actions to boost Trump's election chances over Democrat Hillary Clinton.
On Dec. 29, U.S. President Barack Obama ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian suspected spies and imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies over their involvement in hacking U.S. political groups in the 2016 election.
Whether Flynn and Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak discussed those sanctions is unclear.
An 18th-century U.S. law, the Logan Act, bars unauthorized citizens from negotiating with foreign governments that are in disputes with the United States.
So with these terrible, damning insights exposed, here is the Trump transition team's response...
A Trump spokesman said on Friday that Flynn took a call from the Russian ambassador last month, and discussed setting up a call between the president-elect and Russian President Vladimir Putin after Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20.
"The call centered around the logistics of setting up a call with the president of Russia and the president-elect after he was sworn in and they exchanged logistical information on how to initiate and schedule that call. That was it, plain and simple," spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters.
Spicer said the call took place on Dec. 28. He said the call followed text message exchanges initiated by Flynn on Christmas Day, in which he wished the ambassador a merry Christmas and said he looked forward to "touching base with you and working with you."
As a reminder, president-elect Trump also defended his approach to the Russian leader in the news conference, saying it would benefit U.S. interests...
"If Putin likes Donald Trump, guess what, folks? That’s called an asset, not a liability," Trump said, adding he believed Russia could help in the fight against Islamic State.
That sure sounds like commie hate-speak to us!! Or at least we assume this will be the news cycle narrative for the weekend.
The back offices of the WaPo harbor many “anonymous sources.” If they need more of them they just dial up the DNC.
Whoever leaked this information should be arrested and locked up for all kinds of crimes...
HAHAHA You people are FUNNY, “Page not Found”..
Gen. Flynn probably told him to wait until after Jan 20th when Trump will have more flexibility to deal with US/Russia
relations.
From David Ignatatius column yesterday:
[According to a senior U.S. government official, Flynn phoned Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak several times on Dec. 29, the day the Obama administration announced the expulsion of 35 Russian officials as well as other measures in retaliation for the hacking.]
CIA or somebody is monitoring Trump camp’s phone calls.
The PEOTUS isn't just "any" citizen, and by Trump's spokesperson's account, this wasn't "private" correspondence either since it was necessary for arranging a teleconference between presidents of two major nations of the world, as soon as possible after the inauguration.
If that's not clear enough, then Congress, as the people's "representatives", need to take the time to clarify the law.
There’s that leak again. I hope Trump can plug it once in office.
So now two anonymous sources means it's credible? NOT!
by Tyler Durden
Jan 13, 2017 6:23 PM
Hours after WaPo reports anonymous sources claiming Trump's national security adviser Flynn contacted Russian officials, and Politico details Hillary's dealing with Ukrainian officials, the Senate Intelligence Committee announced in a statement that it will launch an inquiry to look at any links between Russia and individuals associated with U.S. political campaigns as part of bipartisan inquiry into Russia and cyber activity.
Full Statement: Joint Statement on Committee Inquiry into Russian Intelligence Activities
WASHINGTON – Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, today issued a joint statement regarding the Committee’s inquiry into Russian intelligence activities:
“As part of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s oversight responsibilities we believe that it is critical to have a full understanding of the scope of Russian intelligence activities impacting the United States.
In the course of its regular work, the Committee conducts oversight of the Intelligence Community’s collection and analysis related to Russia; however, the October 7, 2016, joint statement on election security from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), combined with the declassified Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) of “Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections” raise profound concerns.
The Committee will, therefore, conduct a bipartisan inquiry of the intelligence reporting behind the Intelligence Community assessments from January 6, 2017 on this subject.
The scope of the Committee’s inquiry will include, but is not limited to: ◦A review of the intelligence that informed the Intelligence Community Assessment “Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections;” ◦Counterintelligence concerns related to Russia and the 2016 U.S. election, including any intelligence regarding links between Russia and individuals associated with political campaigns; ◦Russian cyber activity and other “active measures” directed against the U.S., both as it regards the 2016 election and more broadly.
The Committee plans to: ◦Hold hearings examining Russian intelligence activity; ◦Interview senior officials of both the outgoing and incoming administrations including the issuance of subpoenas if necessary to compel testimony; and ◦Produce both classified and unclassified reports on its findings.
The Committee will follow the intelligence wherever it leads. We will conduct this inquiry expeditiously, and we will get it right. When possible, the Committee will hold open hearings to help inform the public about the issues. That said, we will be conducting the bulk of the Committee’s business behind closed doors because we take seriously our obligation to protect sources and methods. As the Committee’s investigation progresses, we will keep Senate leadership, and the broader body, apprised of our findings.
We have received assurance from the Director of National Intelligence that the Intelligence Community will fully and promptly support our requests for information related to the investigation, and we have every reason to believe that commitment will be honored by the incoming administration.
Majority Leader McConnell and Democratic Leader Schumer have made it clear they expect any investigation into Russia’s involvement in our nation’s elections to be conducted in a bipartisan manner. It is a charge the SSCI takes seriously, as bipartisanship—in fact, non-partisanship—is at the very core of the Committee’s charter and is essential to preserving the intelligence equities involved.”
In addition to the joint statement, the Senators offered additional comment separately.
“As I indicated in my December statement, the SSCI has focused a great deal of attention on Russia’s behavior around the world,” said Chairman Burr. “Over the last two years, we have held more than ten hearings and briefings on these issues, with four reviewing Russia’s so-called ‘active measures.’”
“The SSCI was established to oversee the intelligence activities and programs of the United States Government, and to ensure that the appropriate departments and agencies provided informed and timely intelligence to our nation’s leaders,” Burr added, “and part of our inquiry will necessarily be focused on what happened, and what didn’t happen, in this case.”
Of the investigation, Vice Chairman Warner said, “This issue impacts the foundations of our democratic system, it’s that important. This requires a full, deep, and bipartisan examination. At this time, I believe that this Committee is clearly best positioned to take on that responsibility, but whoever does this needs to do it right. If it turns out that SSCI cannot properly conduct this investigation, I will support legislation to empower whoever can do it right. That is my position now, and it will be my position for the duration of the investigation. I look forward to working with Chairman Burr on this tremendously important matter.”
* * *
More 'intelligence', more hearings, more non-facts, more cognitively dissonant 'facts', more war-talk aimed at Putin, and more 'claaified' reports... Or put another way, this will never end!
McCarthy, eat your heart out!
It doesn't appear they're going to let this rest, which causes me concern. We could be in for some serious trouble here, folks...
There you have it.
Stay the course folks. The deep state is bringing out all their guns.
And pray for our nation, and the world, like you’ve never prayed before!
Amen
General Flynn knows the phones in any Russian diplomatic facility are likely monitored by U.S. And there could be a FISA tap on Flynn. So Flynn's not going to be cutting any shady deals over the phone with a Russian. The “senior government official” probably knew these communications were innocuious so he leaked just the fact they had occurred, leaving the news media to draw their own idiot conclusions.
So let see it illegal for me to ask the Russians please don’t retaliate for something we did (ejecting their ambassadors)..
So I guess all that wrote peace letters to Russia over the years or asking them to withdraw from someplace they were doing some military Adventure we’re committing a crime
Let remember what happen... the Russians took NO action
Gee i guess it also illigal for any group to ask Mexico to stop illegal immigration
I guess it was illegal for Dennis Rodman to meet with North Korea leaders
I guess it’s illegal for all those Hollywood celebrities that are always going over the world sticking there nose into different things talking to different governments to stop global warming stop a famine or stop of War
The operative section
with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States,
So ..if they did influence the Russians ...was getting the Russians to not do anything in retaliation ...did that defeat the US government’s intent??? Was the intent to provoke the Russians?
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