Flynn in FBI interview denied discussing sanctions with Russian ambassador

[herding cats]

Source: Washington Post

Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn denied to FBI agents in an interview last month that he had discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with that country’s ambassador to the United States before President Trump took office, contradicting the contents of intercepted communications collected by intelligence agencies, current and former U.S. officials said.

The Jan. 24 interview potentially puts Flynn in legal jeopardy, as lying to FBI is a felony, but any decision to prosecute would ultimately lie with the Justice Department. Some officials said bringing a case could prove difficult in part because Flynn may attempt to parse the definition of sanctions.

A spokesman for Flynn said he had no response. The FBI declined to comment.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/world/national-security/flynn-in-fbi-interview-denied-discussing-sanctions-with-russian-ambassador/2017/02/16/e3e1e16a-f3d5-11e6-8d72-263470bf0401_story.html

[msanthrope]

1. Um, perjury. nt

[herding cats]

3. Looks that way.

I can't wait to see Trump defend this one.

[Hortensis]

23. Five years seems to be the basic statute of limitations,

but various situations apparently can extend it. In any case, even if the GOP could smother/delay this particular fire for a while, Flynn wouldn't be safe for a minimum of five years. He's also not a super-wealthy man at a reported $8m could be hurt just by only legal costs.

As for other fires springing up, it seems unlikely that 45 is capable of operating completely within the legal constraints of his position for any extended period as he neither understands nor respects the need them and finds them "stupid." And then there are his narcissistic "rages," which are apparently not exactly what we think of with the word rage but do involve periods of irrational and uncontrollable behaviors.

[herding cats]

24. He may also be facing the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution

Pentagon: No record Flynn's paid Russian event was allowed

The Pentagon says it has not discovered any evidence former national security adviser Michael Flynn received authorization to accept money for a paid Russian state TV event in 2015.

The Department of the Army conducted “a thorough records search, and has not found any documents,” acting Secretary of the Army Robert Speer said in a Tuesday letter, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

The Journal said Speer’s message was in response to Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee.


Cummings reportedly asked the Pentagon if Flynn received approval for the event, which occurred in December 2015 during a period of rising tension between the White House and the Kremlin.
Several top Democrats in Congress sent the Department of Defense a letter Feb. 1 asking it to investigate whether Flynn violated the Constitution when he accepted money for the gala.

Flynn accepted an invitation to Moscow in late 2015 to give a paid, sit-down interview with Russian state-funded media outlet RT. RT was conducting a gala for its 10-year anniversary, the Journal said, and Flynn ultimately sat beside Russian President Vladimir Putin.

https://origin-nyi.thehill.com/policy/international/russia/320051-pentagon-no-record-russia-pay-to-flynn-allowed

That's not exactly cheerful news it that regard.

[Hortensis]

25. Hard-core cons often seem to have patterns of

illegal misbehavior. Just look at Scalia's years of flying off to entertainments and meetings, who's paying often highly questionable--like his last, a gratis stay at a "friend's" resort and thus legal.

[Raven123]

2. Keep hammering

The presser was a decoy. Follow the real story!

[herding cats]

6. Trump defended Flynn in his presser as having done nothing wrong.

If what Flynn did wasn't wrong, why did he lie?

[3_Limes]

4. So it's not just treason.

That makes me happy - in a strange way that I'm not really pleased with. But happy, none the less.

[Friend or Foe]

5. So, Comey finally found the zipper

To his mouth!

[JaneQPublic]

7. For lying to the FBI? All together now:

Lock him up! Lock him up! Lock him up! Lock him up!

[herding cats]

8. Hopefully he's going to squeal like a little piggy to try and lessen his sentence.

What did the president know, and when did he know it?

[cstanleytech]

12. Why should he squeal when Trump can simply pardon him to get keep him

quiet if he actually has any dirt on Trump?

[herding cats]

13. That would pretty much force an independent bipartisan investigation.

I'm not saying Trump wouldn't do it, but it would be a tipping point.

[cstanleytech]

15. That is assuming the Repugnants allow such an investigation to even go forward which I doubt

that they would do unless he refuses to sign what they order him to sign when they order him to sign it.

[Native]

9. Whoa! In the call, "he suggested that the Kremlin could expect a reprieve from the sanctions."

Senior Justice and intelligence officials who have reviewed the phone call thought Flynn’s statements to Kislyak were inappropriate, if not illegal, because he suggested that the Kremlin could expect a reprieve from the sanctions.

[herding cats]

10. Yep.

The entire call was about the sanctions and how they had Russia's back.

[Native]

11. Had Russia's back? Where did you see that? That's even more explosive.

[herding cats]

14. That's my wording.

It was reported yesterday the entire call was about the sanctions. That he said they could expect a reprieve is in essence saying they were going fix it for them.

[frazzled]

16. Whoa, headed for the big house (I hope)

Or will Justice come up with some excuse?

[TrollBuster9090]

17. I seem to remember THESE TWO LOSERS neurotically and obsessively going over the Clinton FBI

transcripts with a magnifying glass to check if there were any slight differences between what Clinton said to the FBI vs. what she said to their committee, and salivating over the possibility of nailing her for perjury.

What are the odds they'll do it this time?

[Skittles]

20. Hillary was held to impossible standards

Donald Fucking Trump is held to no standards at all.

[CanonRay]

18. Ummm, that right there is a felony folks.

Lying to a Federal Agent, under oath or not, is a felony. Now if we only had an attorney general who was interested in the truth...

[BumRushDaShow]

19. Just saw a breaking banner that the FBI is not going to prosecute

Surprise surprise.

Washington (CNN)

The FBI is not expected to pursue any charges against former national security adviser Michael Flynn regarding a phone call with Russia's ambassador, barring new information that changes what they know, law enforcement officials told CNN Thursday.

Flynn was fired by President Donald Trump earlier this week after it was revealed that he withheld information from Vice President Mike Pence about his conversations with Sergey Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to the US. A US official confirmed to CNN last week that Flynn and Kislyak discussed sanctions, among other matters, during a December call.

Flynn initially told investigators sanctions were not discussed. But FBI agents challenged him, asking if he was certain that was his answer. He said he didn't remember.

The FBI interviewers believed Flynn was cooperative and provided truthful answers. Although Flynn didn't remember all of what he talked about, they don't believe he was intentionally misleading them, the officials say.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/16/politics/fbi-not-expected-to-pursue-charges-against-flynn/index.html

[wishstar]

21. FBI interviewers deliberately steered him to change his lie to instead claim that he couldn't recall

They deliberately controlled questioning, signaling to him that truth was known and he needed to modify his answer to muddy waters and not persist in absolute denial. So they allowed him to escape prosecution..

[BumRushDaShow]

22. I wouldn't be surprised

although technically, a Grand Jury would need to be impaneled to determine if charges could be brought if the evidence is sketchy and a U.S. Attorney would be the one to request that a judge get that process going vs the FBI. I.e., the U.S. Attorneys (or designees in that office) are normally the ones who file on behalf of the government.