Ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn’s well-compensated lobbying for a Turkish businessman during the 2016 campaign is now part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s election interference, Reuters reported Friday.
Three sources told Reuters that Mueller was assuming control over an ongoing federal grand jury investigation into Flynn’s lobbying work, which forced him to retroactively register as a foreign agent after leaving the White House.
Flynn’s consulting firm, Flynn Intel Group, was paid $530,000 by Inovo BV, a Dutch firm owned by Turkish businessman Ekim Alptekin, to research and produce negative PR materials about exiled Turkish cleric Fetullah Gulen. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan believes Gulen orchestrated a failed coup against him last summer from his compound in Pennsylvania.
Reuters reported that the grand jury investigation, run out of the Eastern District Court of Virginia, has issued subpoenas for Flynn and his business associates. The subpoenas requested bank records, documents and communications related to Flynn, Flynn Intel Group, Alptekin and Inovo, per the report.
Mueller’s investigation, which includes determining whether there was any collusion between Trump campaign associates and Kremlin operatives, is also looking into Flynn’s conversations with Russian officials. Flynn had multiple conversations with the Kremlin’s ambassador to the U.S. about lifting the Obama administration’s economic sanctions against Russia. Former acting attorney general Sally Yates testified that the Justice Department believed Flynn was “compromised with respect to the Russians” because he knowingly misrepresented those conversations to other Trump administration officials.
“Flynn’s consulting firm, Flynn Intel Group, was paid $530,000 by Inovo
BV, a Dutch firm owned by Turkish businessman Ekim Alptekin, ostensibly to research
and produce negative PR materials about exiled Turkish cleric Fetullah
Gulen.”
FIFY
The fact that Flynn railed and went “ape shit” with his accusations against Hillary Clinton for the same behavior he engaged in is mind boggling. He’s one sick and twisted dude.
Neither Clinton engaged in anything like Flynn’s behavior, as far as we know.
Alternate headline:
Greedy, Treasonous Ex-General Can’t Get A Break
The Trumpster and Flynn were like peas in a pod and from what I remember, always together from the very beginning of Trump’s announcement for president. There were stories about Trump calling Flynn up in the middle of the night asking questions about politics and things like currency rates and how they affect the economy. Trump must have seen Flynn’s Russian connections as irresistible. And who would know but him and his new best bud. Plus … maybe hangout with Vlad.
So basically, I’m figuring Flynn knows everything there is to know about Trump and their nefarious dealings with the Russians/money laundering. And Trump knows this as well. So accepting that, I googled Trump’s pardoning powers - and too my surprise WaPo has this story stating The conventional wisdom or the Supreme Court jargon to-date suggests that a president can pardon someone before, during or after conviction,” Ruckman said. Is it possible Trump could pardon for crimes he may have committed in some period of time? Absolutely, yes.” it looks like Trump could issue a pardon for Flynn at any time
Down the rabbit we free-fall.
ETA: I think the exception is if Trump was already in the impeachment process. Then he wouldn’t have his pardoning powers.