Four New Revelations About Flynn and Russia

May 8, 2017

 

Four major new revelations about Michael Flynn and Russia were revealed in reporting by The Washington Post, The Associated Press and NBC News, further calling into question Flynn’s interactions and intentions with Russia and the administration’s handling of classified information:

 

  1. Obama warned Trump against hiring Michael Flynn during their Oval Office meeting after the election.

 

NBC News: “Obama warned Trump against hiring Mike Flynn during their Oval Office meeting after the election, 3 ex-Obama officials say”

 

  1. Immediately after the election, Flynn prioritized meeting with the Russian ambassador over other diplomats and they were in contact with alarmingly high frequency.

 

WaPo: “As Flynn went through his upcoming appointments, he mentioned that he was being inundated with requests for meetings from diplomats. Most would have to wait to get access to Trump’s designated national security adviser, a position that would give Flynn enormous influence in the White House. Flynn then revealed that he’d already scheduled a conversation with Kislyak.”

 

  1. In private meetings during the transition, Flynn dismissed the threat posed by Russia and appeared to ignore advice about Russia’s intentions from experienced foreign policy experts.

 

WaPo: “Former national security adviser Michael Flynn was warned by senior members of President Trump’s transition team about the risks of his contacts with the Russian ambassador weeks before the December call that led to Flynn’s forced resignation, current and former U.S. officials said.”

 

  1. Trump transition officials were careless with highly sensitive material, copying it and removing it from a secure facility in Washington.

 

AP: “The outgoing White House also became concerned about the Trump team’s handling of classified information. After learning that highly sensitive documents from a secure room at the transition’s Washington headquarters were being copied and removed from the facility, Obama’s national security team decided to only allow the transition officials to view some information at the White House, including documents on the government’s contingency plans for crises.”