Top News Today –
Michael Flynn Resignation
Only The Beginning?
National Security Advisor Michael Flynn resigned late Monday night, amid reports that he had illegal discussions with Russia prior to becoming an official Trump administration member and that both he and Donald Trump may be vulnerable to blackmail by Vladimir Putin. Is the Flynn resignation only the first shoe of many about to fall?
Top News Today
America is only 3 weeks into the Trump administration and already a top White House official with the highest security clearance has been forced out due to underhanded dealings with a foreign adversary. Now, the entire world is asking the obvious question: exactly what does Russian President Vladimir Putin have on Donald Trump that has him and his administration near implosion?
Prior to the November 8th election, Michael Flynn had covert discussions with the Russian Ambassador to the United States on behalf of Donald Trump regarding US sanctions against Russia. Not only was this illegal but it was immoral, particularly since Flynn and Trump were merely private citizens at the time and because those discussions were counterproductive to the then Obama administration. Why would a private citizen need to discuss US policy with a foreign government?
When Flynn was directly asked during his confirmation hearings if rumors of him having illegal contact with Russia prior to being confirmed were true, Flynn adamantly denied the charges. Additionally, when the Justice Department warned the White House last month (and before Trump’s inauguration) that Flynn had not been forthright regarding his Russian conversations and that he could be vulnerable to blackmail by Moscow, Trump and his team ignored the warnings and allowed Michael Flynn to operate at the highest levels of US national security.
According to The New York Times, the FBI had been examining Flynn’s phone calls as he came under scrutiny regarding his interactions with Russian officials and his management of the National Security Council. The blackmail risk envisioned by the Justice Department stemmed directly from Flynn’s attempt to cover his tracks. Since the Russians knew what had been said on the call, if they wanted Michael Flynn to do something, they could have easily threatened to expose him if he refused.
Additionally, the Army has been investigating whether Flynn received money from the Russian government during a trip he took to Moscow in 2015. Such a payment would be in violation of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which prohibits former military officers from receiving money from a foreign government without consent from Congress. Interestingly, there is no record that the retired three-star Army general filed the required paperwork for the trip.
Now, less than a month on the job, America’s #1 national security official has issued this statement of resignation:
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February 13, 2017
In the course of my duties as the Incoming National Security Advisor, I held numerous phone calls with foreign counterparts, ministers, and ambassadors. These calls were to facilitate a smooth transition and begin to build the necessary relationships between the President, his advisors and foreign leaders. Such calls are standard practice in any transition of this magnitude.
Unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the Vice President Elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian Ambassador. I have sincerely apologized to the president and the Vice President, and they have accepted my apology.
Throughout my over thirty-three years of honorable military service, and my tenure as the National Security Advisor, I have always performed my duties with the utmost of integrity and honesty to those I have served, to include the President of the United States.
I am tendering my resignation, honored to have served our nation and the American people in such a distinguished way.
I am also extremely honored to have served President Trump, who in just three weeks, has reprinted American foreign policy in fundamental ways to restore America’s leadership position in the world.
As I step away once again from serving my nation in this current capacity, I wish to thank President Trump for his personal loyalty, the friendship of those who I worked with throughout the hard-fought campaign, the challenging period of transition, and during the early days of his presidency.
I know with the strong leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence and the superb team they are assembling, this team will go down in history as one of the greatest presidencies in U.S history, and I firmly believe the american people will be well served as they all work together to help Make America Great Again.
Michael T. Flynn, LTG (Ret)
Assistant to the President/ National Security Advisor
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Top News Today
Since Flynn’s late resignation, all hell has broken loose in Washington.
Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, issued a statement assuring that the Flynn resignation would not close the question of his contact with Russian officials.
“General Flynn’s decision to step down as national security adviser was all but ordained the day he misled the country about his secret talks with the Russian ambassador,” Schiff said, noting that the matter is still under investigation by the House committee.
Additionally, Democratic Rep. John Conyers Jr. of Michigan and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland have called for an immediate briefing by the Justice Department and the FBI over the “alarming new disclosures” that Flynn was a blackmail risk.
“We need to know who else within the White House is a current and ongoing risk to our national security,” they said in a statement.
How is a colossal oversight of this magnitude possible? How are people at the highest levels of government operating in collusion with a foreign government? How soon before more information regarding Russia’s involvement with the US presidential election and questionable contact with Donald Trump and his appointees causes the current administration to come crashing down?
Continuing claims of Russian involvement in the US government have awakened some unlikely people with some unsurprising opinions.
“These are truly baffling and horrifying times, as we have an incompetent president who is essentially owned by a foreign power,” said singer and political activist Moby.
Moby, who turned down an invitation to perform for the inauguration, shared a post with his Facebook followers on Monday intending to confirm a number of theories regarding Donald Trump. His post was based on conversations the activist had with various friends inside Washington government and theorized that the scandalous Russian dossier on Donald Trump is “100% real” and that Trump is being blackmailed by the Russian government for more “nefarious things” than a golden shower show.
He also claimed the Trump administration has always been and continues to be “in collusion with the Russian government” and that there is a brewing movement among conservatives to “get rid of Trump.”
“He’s a drain on their fundraising and their approval ratings,” so the GOP, the Koch brothers, and other “right wing groups” are working on figuring out how to oust Trump, Moby said.
He added that US intelligence agencies and those around the world are “horrified by the incompetence” of the current administration and are working to bring forward information that will lead to high-level firings and impeachment.
Could someone as unexpected as Moby be onto something? Was the Michael Flynn resignation 3 weeks into the Trump presidency only the first of much more controversy to come?
Stay tuned…
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You've hit it out the park again, DJ.
I am still processing ALL that we have learned about this Mess in the past 24 hours so I will hold off a bit on giving my 2 cents until later today. I also hope other voices will chime in. I'm really interested in hearing from other readers their take on this entire fiasco.
I will say this now……..
WE have a "Russia" problem on our hands and HE is sitting in the White House in the president's chair.
In other words, I truly believe THIS is just the beginning of a much Bigger and more *telling* story.
Ok I got to work early today because I already knew what DJ would be talking about today. This whole Michael Flynn situation is a mess. I was watching a little cnn last night and the Repubs are basically trying to contain the whole story. But like my dad used to say where theres smoke theres fire. There is a whole lot more to all this than meets the eye. Why did Flynn lie and who was he trying to protect is what I want to know? Plus I don't know a lot about Moby but he was spot on that Trump is in cahoots with Russia. There is so much underhanded bs going on we probably couldn't keep up. I hope Democrats are smart and dig deep on this story. If they play their cards right they could probably bring trump down. Now into work to hear some of my conservative coworkers making up excuses for their boy.
There is a whole lot more to all this than meets the eye. Why did Flynn lie and who was he trying to protect is what I want to know? […]
And let the Church say AMEN…!!!
On a related note………………
"House Oversight Committee Chair Won’t Investigate Michael Flynn"
“It’s taking care of itself,” Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) said.
House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) said Tuesday he will not pursue an investigation into what contacts Michael Flynn had with the Russian government before Donald Trump took office, and whether Flynn then lied about his communications.
Chaffetz is not the only Repub who doesn't want anyone digging deeper into this.
Sen. Orin Hatch says Flynn resignation doesn't "deserve" investigation. "I think highly of him, he's a hero of this country for many years"
Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), chair of the House Intelligence Committee, said Tuesday he may carry out an investigation ― but regarding the leaks of details about Flynn’s call, rather than his actual conduct.
Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) told The Huffington Post he is not bothered by Chaffetz’s refusal to investigate. “We appear to know the facts,” he said. “I’m not obsessed about this.”
But Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a member of the Intelligence Committee, said an investigation needed to happen to figure out what Flynn did and who else knew about it. “I think that we should look into it exhaustively so that at the end of this process, nobody wonders whether there was a stone left unturned, and shouldn’t reach conclusions before you have the information that you need to have to make those conclusions,” he said on KTRS radio Tuesday. […] – HuffPost
So predictably some Repubs want this whole thing to just go away. They know they can't trust Trump…at all. And of course they're terrified of what an investigation could reveal. It's potentially a real powder-keg just waiting to explode all over them and take down their party.
But I don't view this as Republican versus Democrat because let's face it, Trump is neither.
He is patently dishonest AND corrupt. And IF he and/or his lackeys colluded with any foreign country (in this case, Russia) to undermine our voting process, if not our entire system of government then WE The American People have a right to know.
And just for the record: I don't buy for a second the notion that Flynn went rogue and acted without Trump's knowledge. No.
"Dems Demand Jason Chaffetz Investigate Flynn, Or Step Aside"
Benghazi and Hillary Clinton’s email were worth numerous hearings, subpoenas and probes. But possible collusion between the national security adviser and Russia? Crickets.
Excerpt:
WASHINGTON ― The top congressional watchdog in the House must dig into allegations around President Donald Trump’s national security adviser Michael Flynn ― or step aside ― Democrats demanded Monday.
Democrats have repeatedly called on Congress to launch probes into Russia’s attempts to influence the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton, with limited success. Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, chaired by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), had already asked Chaffetz to seek various documents from the FBI, National Security Council and Department of Defense regarding Flynn’s vetting for his job.
Chaffetz has declined to do so.
The new revelations about Flynn’s reported Russian contacts, which prompted conflicting responses from White House advisers Monday, spurred Democrats to express greater alarm.
“Today, all Democratic Members of the Committee write to you jointly to request that you either reconsider your decision and initiate this investigation, or step aside and allow the Committee to vote on conducting basic oversight going forward,” the Democrats wrote in a letter to Chaffetz, noting they’ve been seeking Flynn-related probes since August.
Chaffetz’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Huffington Post. Chaffetz told reporters outside a GOP meeting Tuesday morning that he was not interested in investigating Flynn. […] HuffPost
Republicans gotta be smart here. Go ahead and investigate the thing to death. Because if they don't Democrats will hold it over their heads and create an impression there's something to hide.
TAC Reader:
I’m on the left, but I recognize that much of the anti-Trump movement in foreign policy is coming from an establishment which has an absolutely terrible record.
Unfortunately (and predictably), Trump has been surrounding himself with people who are in most respects even worse, despite what some of his supporters hoped he would do. […]
TAC Reader:
In past Administrations, I suspect {Flynn} wouldn’t have made it to the confirmation process let alone make it through. Now, ‘extreme vetting’ doesn’t apply to cabinet candidates or national security advisers. […]
TAC Reader:
This also goes far beyond Flynn. Apparently he was kept on (and according to Conway enjoyed the “full confidence” of Trump) after the DOJ informed the White House that Flynn had lied to them and had placed himself in a compromising position.
It is absolutely unreal. […]
From CNN:
Michael Flynn is out as President Donald Trump's national security adviser. But does he have bigger problems than just needing a new job?
At issue is the little-used Logan Act, which forbids private citizens from negotiating with foreign governments.
Some vocal critics have suggested Flynn could be prosecuted for violating the statute. But no one has previously been prosecuted under the law, and no one in the law enforcement community has suggested Flynn would be.
BREAKING: this morning: Wed. Feb. 15, 2017
New York Times: "Trump Campaign Aides Had Repeated Contacts With Russian Intelligence"
Excerpt:
WASHINGTON — Phone records and intercepted calls show that members of Donald J. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election, according to four current and former American officials.
American law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee, three of the officials said. The intelligence agencies then sought to learn whether the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election.
The officials interviewed in recent weeks said that, so far, they had seen no evidence of such cooperation.
But the intercepts alarmed American intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in part because of the amount of contact that was occurring while Mr. Trump was speaking glowingly about the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin. At one point last summer, Mr. Trump said at a campaign event that he hoped Russian intelligence services had stolen Hillary Clinton’s emails and would make them public.
The officials said the intercepted communications were not limited to Trump campaign officials, and included other associates of Mr. Trump. On the Russian side, the contacts also included members of the government outside of the intelligence services, they said. All of the current and former officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the continuing investigation is classified.
The officials said that one of the advisers picked up on the calls was Paul Manafort, who was Mr. Trump’s campaign chairman for several months last year and had worked as a political consultant in Ukraine. The officials declined to identify the other Trump associates on the calls.
The call logs and intercepted communications are part of a larger trove of information that the F.B.I. is sifting through as it investigates the links between Mr. Trump’s associates and the Russian government, as well as the hacking of the D.N.C., according to federal law enforcement officials. As part of its inquiry, the F.B.I. has obtained banking and travel records and conducted interviews, the officials said. […]
In light of the new information revealed by the New York Times and other credible news media, I am left to consider one of two possible options here:
1. Either Trump is so clueless and so incompetent that he truly was not aware, at the time, that several of his campaign aides and even high-ranking staff people had gone rogue and, behind his back, were engaged in ongoing contacts with Russia for the purpose of interfering in Our presidential election? OR……………
2. Mr. Trump was in fact, FULLY aware that several of his campaign aides and high-ranking staff personnel were indeed engaged in said ongoing contacts with Russia?
These are the only two options. And only One can be true.
Hey Truth whichever one is true it don't matter. Both of them should disqualify him from being president. You can't be that dumb about what's going on around you or that embarrassed about whatever Russia is holding over him to let all this happen. This is real life. He can't be playing with peoples lives like that.
"Hey Truth whichever one is true it don't matter. Both of them should disqualify him from being president. "
Well that's exactly my point BD. Now calm down my friend. With every passing day, he hangs himself a little more than the day before.
NYT Reader:
The timing of the phone calls made by Donald's staff (or possibly Donald himself) coinciding with the FBI's initial discovery of Russia's tampering in a U.S. presidential election combined with the questionable decision by FBI director James Comey to publicly announce discovery of more emails by Hillary on non-approved government servers just 11 days before election and before the FBI even analyzed their contents is serious enough for a highly partisan Congress to recuse itself as an investigative body into the allegations of malfeasance.
Newly confirmed U.S. attorney general Jeff Sessions must now demonstrate his independence from WH control and an impartial deference to upholding the rule of law by appointing a non-partisan independent prosecutor with subpoena power.
If the allegations of contact with the Russian government are proven true; was known/and or authorized by Donald and/or Donald himself participating in the calls, I believe, would lead to a constitutional crisis on how to proceed with Donald’s replacement. Would it be fair to follow the normal protocol outlined in the Constitution or to award the office to Hillary. It would be unfair to hold another election because had the information been available prior to the election, Hillary would most likely have won the election. […]
NYT Reader:
This seems to be treasonous but it is almost an open secret, the only nutty conspiracy that is true but the alt-right has been mum about it.
One argument for the alt-right gang is that they too are American and therefore should be included in the dialogue about the future of America. But does that treasonous behavior, either by active participation or by willful ignorance, exclude them?
Finally, one has to ask where was FBI Director Comey and other law enforcement and intelligent officers? […]
Corker: We Must Address WH Russia Ties So It Doesn't 'Destabilize' Country
Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) on Wednesday morning called for congressional investigations into Michael Flynn and the Trump administration's ties to Russia, warning that failure to address the issue could "destabilize" the federal government's ability to enact policy.
"The base issue is getting to the bottom of what the Russian interference was and what the relationship was with associates of the Trump effort, and so that is the big elephant in the room that has got to be dealt with in the most appropriate way," Corker said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
"There's the issue of: Is the White House going to have the ability to stabilize itself? This affects us not just with international issues that are brewing all around the world — all kinds of problems — but the domestic agenda here," Corker continued.
The senator said that investigating leaks to the press about the White House, which some Republicans have focused on, is a "sub-issue."
"The big issue right now is dealing with this Russia issue, making sure that it doesn't destabilize our ability to move ahead as a country and deal with important issues," he said. [..] -Talking Points Memo (TPM)
TPM Reader:
Translation, "If we don't act now, we're {screwed} in 2018."
Truth you win the grand prize on this one. Repubs know if they don't go through with a investigation and everybody finds out that Russia really is controlling Trump then everybody is going down. Trump and all the Repubs would be out. Democrats should push this until Repubs get tired of hearing about it. Keep on fighting and don't give up until they all go down in flames. Because this is some real bs here.
Dems AND Repubs (those who actually care about this country) should push for an Independent investigation and NOT let up until that happens.
I haven't had kind words for the American news media in quite awhile. They deserve every bit of criticism they've been getting.
However, if the leaks keep coming and the media keeps all this mess front and center that will be a major help in keeping the pressure on Repubs who simply want to see this whole thing go away..