Flynn coordinated Russia call with senior transition official, prosecutors say

The Hill ^ | December 1, 2017 | Katie Bo Williams

[Pinkbell]

Former national security advisor Michael Flynn spoke with a "senior official" in President’s Trump's transition team at the Mar-a-Lago resort to discuss what he should communicate to the Russian ambassador in a highly-scrutinized series of phone calls in December of 2016, according to federal prosecutors.

Flynn and the senior officials discussed both the recently implemented U.S. sanctions on Russia, as well as the fact that they did not want Russia to escalate friction between the two nations, lawyers on special counsel Robert Mueller's team told a federal judge Friday.  

After the discussion, Flynn telephoned the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak. Afterwards, he called the senior transition official and reported the sanctions discussion, prosecutors said. 

Kislyak later followed up with Flynn and affirmed that Russia would moderate its response to the sanctions, put in place by then-President Obama. Flynn communicated that exchange to other transition officials, prosecutors said.  

Flynn on Friday pleaded guilty to one count of providing false statements to federal investigators, thereby admitting to the charges made by Mueller's prosecutors. 

According to court documents filed by Mueller, Flynn lied when he told investigators that he did not ask Kislyak to "refrain from escalating the situation" in response to sanctions that Obama had levied on the Russian Federation. 

Flynn also lied, the counsel said, when Flynn said he did not ask the ambassador to either delay or defeat a related U.N. Security Council vote.   Prosecutors told Judge Rudolph Contreras that Flynn was told by the senior member of Trump transition team to reach out to other countries to influence the U.N. vote, in an effort to delay or defeat the resolution.

[Mariner]

Yeah, total Bullshit in an envelope addressed to the stupid.

I hop everyone in the admin is now smart enough to tell Mueller the truth on everything.

There was no crime nor anything nefarious. Just tell the truth and this all goes away.

[Lent]

No matter how many ways the MSM tries to sell this they fail. The MSM has smoke and mirrors to suggest that any contact with the Russkies was illegal. It wasn’t you fake news purveyors.

[NKP_Vet]

“Kennedy was writing mash notes to Soviet leaders back when Russia was threatening Americans with nuclear annihilation — liberals loved THAT Russia. It’s today’s Christian Russia that liberals hate.” - Ann Coulter

[Parley Baer]

That is what he was supposed to do. Laying the groundwork for a coordinated effort to defeat ISIS. Nothing here.

[CivilWarBrewing]

The timing of this is VERY suspicious. Deep State Mueller attempting to UNDO Trump's great stock market day yesterday.

I hope Mueller drops dead of a heart attack.

[Alberta's Child]

1. How does President Trump grant Michael Flynn a security clearance in December 2016 and early January of 2017 if Trump is not the president yet?

2. A person with a security clearance who refuses to speak to the FBI on any matter should have his security clearance revoked immediately.

[wardamneagle]

But I didn’t “intend” to lie to the FBI.

[faucetman]

NO ONE that counts will care about this. Watch Trump’s poll numbers INCREASE.

This is a big NOTHINGBURGER.

[Alberta's Child]

Someone who pleads guilty to a crime related to lying and making fraudulent representations to the FBI has no credibility to "spin fairy tales" of any kind.

He's already admitting to spinning fairy tales.

[Truth29]

Trump has waited far too long to neutralize Mueller. Now, any administrative move against him will trigger immediate moves for impeachment. Mueller need to be found with a history abusing women, that will get rid of him.

[ncalburt]

Brian Ross a documented liar is lying again .Ross should be banned from the WH for ever with this lie.

That idiot Flynn plead guilty to a process crime not a conspiracy .

They have nothing .

[hal ogen]

What LIB lunacy. Transition teams are SUPPOSED TO talk to people. Hahaha. Yet another fake news lie by distortion and ommission. Gen Flynn pled guilty to lying to the fbi. Hasn’t the fbi been established to be replete with liars in the past decade or so?

[HombreSecreto]

Didn’t Carter send Mondale to visit European leaders after he was elected in 1976, but before inauguration?

Or is my memory just faulty?

[Alberta's Child]

The timing of this probably has more to do with the court schedule than anything else. Many judges keep their Fridays clear to complete paperwork, so it would be easier to get a fast plea arrangement scheduled on a Friday than most other days.

The stock market was hammered when this news was announced. The DJIA was down about 235 points at the lowest point I saw. It's now down about 92.

Imagine if Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump are making a killing on stock trades while all of this nonsense is going on.

[EBH]

FBI reviewed Flynn’s calls with Russian ambassador but found nothing illicit

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fbi-reviewed-flynns-calls-with-russian-ambassador-but-found-nothing-illicit/2017/01/23/aa83879a-e1ae-11e6-a547-5fb9411d332c_story.html?utm_term=.cf05432f9c26

[Crossfeed]

“Tell Vladimir that after the election I’ll have more flexibility.” — Obama

“I will transmit this information to Vladimir,” -— Medvedev

[SoFloFreeper]

zzz.

just read a laughable piece by ABC.

even by their own standards, this is hype:

Here is the lead sentence. I put some ellipses in it without changing the meaning. Notice how it has NOTHING to do with the election. :) Michael Flynn...is prepared to testify that Donald Trump directed him to make contact with the Russians, initially as a way to work together to fight ISIS in Syria.

Nothing to do w/election collusion.

Epic fail, media.

[Electric Graffiti]

“So, Obama’s FBI was wiretapping Phone calls of the incoming Administration and nobody asks how that is Legal?”

The real crime. 8 years of wholesale treason and lawlessness under the O’muslim regime and our very FIRST SPECIAL COUNSEL is to investigate an incoming POTUS. How Soviet.

Thanks, Jeff. You’re doing a bang up job, you rat bastard.

[FlipWilson]

Ok, so the crux of this entire thing was that Hillary lost the election because DURING the campaign, Trump colluded with Russia to release those damaging (read truthful) e-mails.

Now, we have moved to AFTER the election was completed and as part of the transition, Trump asked a guy who was going to have a job in his administration to start to contact foreign officials. That guy lied to Trump and Pence about what he discussed and when he discussed it.

Obama did it, every transition has done it.

What is next, are we going to criminalize walking across the street?

[xkaydet65]

Since nothing, as yet, predates the election I would consider that the admin use the Eisenhower goes to Korea scenario to explain any post election contact with Russia. Ike met with Synghman Rhee when in Korea and there is good reason to believe he indirectly communicated with the USSR to pressure Kim and Mao by threatening use of nukes.
While not a combat ally as S Korea and Rhee were, Russia and Putin were not enemies in 2016, but had mutual and also conflicting interests with the US for which preliminary pre inauguration contact would be deemed acceptable. But if proven that pre election contacts occured, all bets are off.