Vice President Mike Pence is not backing down from his claim that he learned nothing about ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn’s lobbying work for the Turkish government until March. The New York Times revealed that Flynn told the Trump transition team – which Pence chaired – he was under federal investigation for that work in January.
Pence “stands by his comments in March upon first hearing the news regarding General Flynn’s ties to Turkey and fully supports the president’s decision to ask for General Flynn’s resignation,” his office said in a statement to USA Today.
According to the Times, Flynn informed the transition team’s chief lawyer Don McGahn on Jan. 4 that he was under investigation by the Justice Department for receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars to lobby on behalf of Turkey during the presidential campaign. McGahn now serves as White House counsel.
Flynn’s lawyer provided additional information to transition team lawyers in a subsequent meeting two days later, the newspaper reported.
Pence was the head of the Trump transition team, but, by his account, was never even made aware that Flynn was working as a lobbyist for a foreign government.
In March, after Flynn retroactively registered as a foreign agent with the Justice Department, Pence told Fox News that this was the first time he had learned about Flynn’s lobbying.
Trump: Obama purposely avoided telling us that Flynn was a spy. He wanted us to fail and we are now paying the price for Obama’s deviousness.
“And the check is in the mail, and I love you, and I promise not to…” well, you know the rest.
So either or both Flynn and McGahn is/are incompetent and/or mendacious.
Fools or crooks.
The story on the top of the page earlier at TPM says that Elijah Cummings wrote directly to Pence on November 18, 2016 expressing concerns that Flynn was working for Turkey. Pence is a liar.
Pence “stands by his comments in March upon first hearing the news regarding General Flynn’s ties to Turkey and fully supports the president’s decision to ask for General Flynn’s resignation,” his office said in a statement to USA Today.
Coward. Get your ass out in public and make that statement face-to-face to the American people.