The Noose Tightens On Trump
2020-03-11 02:31:46 UTC
Michael Flynn's lawyers break with Trump's legal team
Decision could mean former adviser is moving to co-operate with Mueller
probe The Associated Press Posted: Nov 23, 2017 8:42 PM ET
A lawyer for former national security adviser Michael Flynn has told U.S.
President Donald Trump's legal team that they will no longer communicate
with them about special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into
Russian election interference.
The decision could be a sign that Flynn is moving to co-operate with
Mueller's investigation or negotiate a deal for himself.
The decision was communicated this week, said a person familiar with the
decision who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to
discuss an ongoing investigation.
In large criminal investigations, defence lawyers routinely share
information with each other. But it can become unethical to continue such
communication if one of the potential targets is looking to negotiate a
deal with prosecutors.
A lawyer for Flynn didn't respond to a request for comment Thursday. A
lawyer for Flynn's son, Michael Flynn Jr., who has also come under
investigation from Mueller's team of prosecutors, declined to comment.
The New York Times first reported the decision.
Flynn was forced to resign as national security adviser in February after
White House officials concluded that he had misled them about the nature
of his contacts during the transition period with the Russian ambassador
to the United States.
He was interviewed by the FBI in January about his communications with the
ambassador, Sergey Kislyak.
Trump meets with Lavrov, Kislyak
Trump jokes with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, left, and the
then Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak in the Oval Office one day after he
fired FBI director James Comey on May 9. (Russian Foreign Ministry/EPA)
The deputy attorney general at the time, Sally Yates, soon advised White
House officials that their public assertions that Flynn had not discussed
sanctions with Kislyak were incorrect and that Flynn was therefore in a
compromised position.
Flynn was facing a Justice Department investigation over his foreign
business dealings even before Mueller was appointed as special counsel in
May to investigate potential coordination between the Trump campaign and
Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. Mueller has since
inherited that investigation.
Paul Manafort's indictment was big. Trump 'volunteer' George
Papadopoulos's plea may be even bigger Flynn, a prominent Trump backer on
the campaign trail, has been a key figure in Mueller's probe and of
particular interest to Trump. Former FBI director James Comey, for
instance, said that Trump encouraged him to end an FBI investigation into
Flynn during a private Oval Office meeting in February.
In addition to scrutinizing Flynn's contacts with Russia during the
transition and campaign, Mueller has been investigating the retired U.S.
Army lieutenant general's role in $530,000 US worth of lobbying work his
now-defunct firm performed for a Turkish businessman during the final
months of the 2016 presidential campaign.
TURKEY-SECURITY/GULEN-USA
U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen at his home in Saylorsburg, Pa.,
on July 10. (REUTERS)
The lobbying campaign sought to gather derogatory information on Fethullah
Gulen, a Turkish cleric and green-card holder living in Pennsylvania.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Gulen of being behind a
botched coup and has sought his extradition. Gulen has denied the
allegations, and U.S. officials have rebuffed Turkey's extradition
demands, citing a lack of evidence.
Flynn and his firm, Flynn Intel Group, carried out the lobbying and
research work for several months, meeting with officials from the U.S. and
Turkish governments. Flynn also published an op-ed on Election Day in The
Hill newspaper, parroting many of the Turkish government's talking points
about Gulen. At the time, neither Flynn nor his company was registered
with the Justice Department to represent Turkish interests.
Who is Reza Zarrab? Turkish-Iranian gold trader may be working with
Mueller investigation of Michael Flynn 'Ludicrous': Turkey denies report
of plan to kidnap Fethullah Gulen from U.S. Soon after the publication of
the op-ed, the Justice Department began investigating Flynn's lobbying
work, and in March, he registered with the department as a foreign agent.
In federal filings, Flynn acknowledged the work could have benefited the
government of Turkey.
Since then, FBI agents working for Mueller have been investigating whether
the Turkish government was directing the lobbying work and not a private
company owned by a Turkish businessman, Ekim Alptekin, as Flynn's firm has
contended.
FBI agents have also been asking about Flynn's business partner, Bijan
Kian, who served on Trump's presidential transition, and his son, Michael
Flynn Jr., who worked for his father as part of the lobbying campaign.
Flynn Jr. also was a near constant presence around his father during the
Trump campaign and presidential transition period.
Mueller announced his first charges in the investigation last month,
including the guilty plea of a foreign-policy adviser to the campaign,
George Papadopoulos, and the indictments of former campaign chairman Paul
Manafort and business associate Rick Gates.
© The Associated Press, 2017
Decision could mean former adviser is moving to co-operate with Mueller
probe The Associated Press Posted: Nov 23, 2017 8:42 PM ET
A lawyer for former national security adviser Michael Flynn has told U.S.
President Donald Trump's legal team that they will no longer communicate
with them about special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into
Russian election interference.
The decision could be a sign that Flynn is moving to co-operate with
Mueller's investigation or negotiate a deal for himself.
The decision was communicated this week, said a person familiar with the
decision who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to
discuss an ongoing investigation.
In large criminal investigations, defence lawyers routinely share
information with each other. But it can become unethical to continue such
communication if one of the potential targets is looking to negotiate a
deal with prosecutors.
A lawyer for Flynn didn't respond to a request for comment Thursday. A
lawyer for Flynn's son, Michael Flynn Jr., who has also come under
investigation from Mueller's team of prosecutors, declined to comment.
The New York Times first reported the decision.
Flynn was forced to resign as national security adviser in February after
White House officials concluded that he had misled them about the nature
of his contacts during the transition period with the Russian ambassador
to the United States.
He was interviewed by the FBI in January about his communications with the
ambassador, Sergey Kislyak.
Trump meets with Lavrov, Kislyak
Trump jokes with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, left, and the
then Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak in the Oval Office one day after he
fired FBI director James Comey on May 9. (Russian Foreign Ministry/EPA)
The deputy attorney general at the time, Sally Yates, soon advised White
House officials that their public assertions that Flynn had not discussed
sanctions with Kislyak were incorrect and that Flynn was therefore in a
compromised position.
Flynn was facing a Justice Department investigation over his foreign
business dealings even before Mueller was appointed as special counsel in
May to investigate potential coordination between the Trump campaign and
Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. Mueller has since
inherited that investigation.
Paul Manafort's indictment was big. Trump 'volunteer' George
Papadopoulos's plea may be even bigger Flynn, a prominent Trump backer on
the campaign trail, has been a key figure in Mueller's probe and of
particular interest to Trump. Former FBI director James Comey, for
instance, said that Trump encouraged him to end an FBI investigation into
Flynn during a private Oval Office meeting in February.
In addition to scrutinizing Flynn's contacts with Russia during the
transition and campaign, Mueller has been investigating the retired U.S.
Army lieutenant general's role in $530,000 US worth of lobbying work his
now-defunct firm performed for a Turkish businessman during the final
months of the 2016 presidential campaign.
TURKEY-SECURITY/GULEN-USA
U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen at his home in Saylorsburg, Pa.,
on July 10. (REUTERS)
The lobbying campaign sought to gather derogatory information on Fethullah
Gulen, a Turkish cleric and green-card holder living in Pennsylvania.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Gulen of being behind a
botched coup and has sought his extradition. Gulen has denied the
allegations, and U.S. officials have rebuffed Turkey's extradition
demands, citing a lack of evidence.
Flynn and his firm, Flynn Intel Group, carried out the lobbying and
research work for several months, meeting with officials from the U.S. and
Turkish governments. Flynn also published an op-ed on Election Day in The
Hill newspaper, parroting many of the Turkish government's talking points
about Gulen. At the time, neither Flynn nor his company was registered
with the Justice Department to represent Turkish interests.
Who is Reza Zarrab? Turkish-Iranian gold trader may be working with
Mueller investigation of Michael Flynn 'Ludicrous': Turkey denies report
of plan to kidnap Fethullah Gulen from U.S. Soon after the publication of
the op-ed, the Justice Department began investigating Flynn's lobbying
work, and in March, he registered with the department as a foreign agent.
In federal filings, Flynn acknowledged the work could have benefited the
government of Turkey.
Since then, FBI agents working for Mueller have been investigating whether
the Turkish government was directing the lobbying work and not a private
company owned by a Turkish businessman, Ekim Alptekin, as Flynn's firm has
contended.
FBI agents have also been asking about Flynn's business partner, Bijan
Kian, who served on Trump's presidential transition, and his son, Michael
Flynn Jr., who worked for his father as part of the lobbying campaign.
Flynn Jr. also was a near constant presence around his father during the
Trump campaign and presidential transition period.
Mueller announced his first charges in the investigation last month,
including the guilty plea of a foreign-policy adviser to the campaign,
George Papadopoulos, and the indictments of former campaign chairman Paul
Manafort and business associate Rick Gates.
© The Associated Press, 2017