Department of Justice: Flynn may be compromised - Politics Forum.org | PoFo

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#14775915
The "failing" New York Times does not allow copy/pasting so here's the link.

Also just a rando FYI: you can easily access WaPo articles behind their paywall by going to the link in Chrome's Incognito mode.

A brief summary:

-Flynn lied to Pence about his conversation with the Russian diplomat, and Pence is not happy about this since he went on TV to vouch for him.

-Flynn is under investigation by the Army for his trip to Russia in 2015. He filed the appropriate paperwork, but was apparently not completely forthcoming. It was apparently not disclosed that he's so chummy with Putin that he sat next to him at a Russia Today event.

-It's alleged that Flynn may have received money from the Russian government during this trip, which would violate the Emoluments Clause.

-The transcript of the conversation between Flynn and the Russian diplomat is vague enough that the White House could go either way. However, the sanctions were discussed.

-The best people. The best.
Last edited by SpecialOlympian on 14 Feb 2017 04:17, edited 1 time in total.
#14775925
CNN stepping up its fake news game:



Edit: Lol some guy appparently timed this:



Also @noemon may I suggest that PoFo not mark that a post has been edited if you're only adding tags for the magazine? I realized I did not add any and, although I did not change the text of my post, it added the "post edited" notification.
#14775949
This is the start of Trumps presidency unraveling. It's gets better and better. It's like a train crash in slow motion. Sit back and enjoy the show.

The US national security adviser, Michael Flynn, resigned late on Monday night amid a flow of intelligence leaks that he had secretly discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador to Washington and then tried to cover up the conversations.

The resignation, with the Trump era less than four weeks old, is the latest and most dramatic convulsion in the most chaotic start to an administration in modern US history.

It was far from clear whether Flynn’s departure would steady an inexperienced and feuding White House, or resolve the lingering suspicions about the Trump team’s pre-election contacts with the Kremlin.

The White House issued a statement just after 11pm in Washington announcing the resignation, shortly after reports broke that the Trump administration had been warned weeks ago that Flynn might be vulnerable to Russian blackmail.

The statement also named retired army general Joseph Keith Kellogg as acting national security adviser, pending the appointment of a permanent successor. It was reported that a third general, former CIA director David Petraeus, was due to meet Trump on Tuesday.

In his resignation letter, Flynn claimed he had mistakenly misled vice-president Mike Pence and other Trump officials about the nature of phone calls in December to the Russian ambassador, Sergei Kisilyak. When intelligence leaks about the communications began appearing last month, Pence and other White House officials insisted the contact had involved only an exchange of Christmas greetings and arrangements for a future phone conversation between Trump and Vladimir Putin.

However, subsequent leaks suggested that they had been more substantial, and concerned sanctions the Obama administration was about to impose on Moscow for interference in the presidential elections. Intelligence officials claimed that Flynn had given the impression the sanctions might be lifted once the Trump administration came to office on 20 January.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/liv ... links-live





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Last edited by anarchist23 on 14 Feb 2017 05:48, edited 2 times in total.
#14775951
anarchist23 wrote:This is the start of Trumps presidency unraveling. It's gets better and better. It's like a train crash in slow motion. Sit back and enjoy the show.

As entertaining as it may be for you, it kinda sucks from here.
#14775955
Zagadka wrote:As entertaining as it may be for you, it kinda sucks from here.


Yeah it's really embarrassing that we elected a narcissistic cheetoh with, in retrospect, pretty obvious Russian ties. But oh well. I'm not looking forward to president Ryan, but no matter what the GOP is pretty fucked for the near term. Obamacare really became a case of the dog catching the car for them.
#14775958
I've been following politics for fifty years now. What has just happened is something else. This is history in the making. To say the least. lol
Trump will resign, he will be pushed out by the republicans. There is a possibility he will be impeached. Nixon had to go, this is a similar situation.
Possibly I am ahead of the situation?
#14775966
By Steve Holland and John Walcott | WASHINGTON
President Donald Trump's national security adviser, Michael Flynn, resigned late on Monday after revelations that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador to the United States before Trump took office and misled Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations.

Flynn's resignation came hours after it was reported that the Justice Department had warned the White House weeks ago that Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail for contacts with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak before Trump took power on Jan. 20.

Flynn's departure was a sobering development in Trump's young presidency, a 24-day period during which his White House has been repeatedly distracted by miscues and internal dramas.

The departure could slow Trump's bid to warm up relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Flynn submitted his resignation hours after Trump, through a spokesman, pointedly declined to publicly back Flynn, saying he was reviewing the situation and talking to Pence.

Flynn had promised Pence he had not discussed U.S. sanctions with the Russians, but transcripts of intercepted communications, described by U.S. officials, showed that the subject had come up in conversations between him and the Russian ambassador.

Such contacts could potentially be in violation of a law banning private citizens from engaging in foreign policy, known as the Logan Act.

Pence had defended Flynn in television interviews and was described by administration officials as upset about being misled.

"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," Flynn said in his resignation letter.

Retired General Keith Kellogg, who has been chief of staff of the White House National Security Council, was named the acting national security adviser while Trump determines who should fill the position.

Kellogg, retired General David Petraeus, a former CIA director, and Robert Harward, a former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, are under consideration for the position, a White House official said. Harward was described by officials as the leading candidate.

A U.S. official confirmed a Washington Post report that Sally Yates, the then-acting U.S. attorney general, told the White House late last month that she believed Flynn had misled them about the nature of his communications with the Russian ambassador.

She said Flynn might have put himself in a compromising position, possibly leaving himself vulnerable to blackmail, the official said. Yates was later fired for opposing Trump's temporary entry ban for people from seven mostly Muslim nations.

A U.S. official, describing the intercepted communications, said Flynn did not make any promises about lifting the sanctions.

But he did indicate that sanctions imposed by President Barack Obama on Russia for its Ukraine incursion "would not necessarily carry over to an administration seeking to improve relations between the U.S. and Russia," the official said.

Flynn, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general, was an early supporter of Trump and shares his interest in shaking up the establishment in Washington. He frequently raised eyebrows among Washington's foreign policy establishment for trying to persuade Trump to warm up U.S. relations with Russia.

A U.S. official said Flynn's departure, coupled with Russia's aggression in Ukraine and Syria and Republican congressional opposition to removing sanctions on Russia, removes Trump's most ardent advocate of taking a softer line toward Putin.

Flynn's leaving "may make a significant course change less likely, at least any time soon," the official said.

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Another official said Flynn's departure may strengthen the hands of some cabinet secretaries, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

However, the second official said, Flynn's exit could also reinforce the power of presidential aides Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller, whom he described as already having the president's ear.

Congressional Democrats expressed alarm at the developments surrounding Flynn and called for a classified briefing by administration officials to explain what had happened.

"We are communicating this request to the Department of Justice and FBI this evening," said Democratic representatives John Conyers of Michigan and Elijah Cummings of Maryland.

U.S. Representative Adam Schiff of California, ranking Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said Flynn's departure does not end the questions over his contacts with the Russians.

"The Trump administration has yet to be forthcoming about who was aware of Flynn's conversations with the ambassador and whether he was acting on the instructions of the president or any other officials, or with their knowledge," Schiff said.

The committee's chairman, Republican Devin Nunes, thanked Flynn for his service.

"Washington D.C. can be a rough town for honorable people, and Flynn — who has always been a soldier, not a politician —deserves America's gratitude and respect," he said.


http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-t ... SKBN15S0BR
#14775967
Supposedly Spicer or Priebus is also on the chopping block. I imagine the Bannon/Miller/Conway tea party cartel is closing ranks as quickly as possible. Flynn's departure- despite his hawkish nature- can only lend more power to the ideological radicals.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/t ... ner-234977

Michael Flynn resigned as President Donald Trump's national security adviser Monday night, amid a growing scandal over his contacts with Russian officials.

The White House announced the resignation after days of uncertainty about Flynn's fate after reports that he'd obfuscated the details of his conversations with Russian officials to Vice President Mike Pence and other administration officials.

Trump administration officials, including chief White House counsel Don McGahn, were briefed last month on Flynn's apparent misstatements about his discussions with the Russians. Yates was dismissed a few days later — after refusing to enforce Trump's travel ban executive order — but a source familiar with the situation said her briefing on Flynn did not appear to play a role in her firing.

The Washington Post was the first to report the briefing Monday. The White House announced Flynn's resignation shortly afterward.

"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," Flynn wrote in his resignation letter.

"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," Flynn added.

Keith Kellogg, the National Security Council chief of staff, will step in as the acting national security adviser and head of the National Security Council. Retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey, who has known Kellogg for decades, said early Tuesday that he is a "good man" who was among the earliest Trump loyalists.
170109-Mark-Meadows-AP_16138729166284.jpg

Congress
Conservatives balking at GOP leadership's Obamacare plans

By Rachael Bade

The White House has already begun canvassing for Flynn's permanent replacement. Retired Gen. David Petraeus is scheduled to meet with Trump at the White House on Tuesday, according to people familiar with the plans.

Vice Admiral Robert Harward and Kellogg are also under consideration, according to a senior White House official. However, a White House spokeswoman declined to respond to questions from POLITICO about the search for potential Flynn successors.

Flynn, a retired three-star general who was forced out as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014, was one of the first and most decorated military officers to back Trump and became a fixture on the stump during the presidential campaign. But Trump hasn’t addressed questions about Flynn since Friday, when he told reporters on board Air Force One that he would “look into” the reports that Flynn lied about improperly discussing sanctions imposed on Russia by the Obama administration with Russia’s ambassador before Trump’s inauguration.

Flynn, long a controversial figure in the national security establishment, was widely disliked by Trump's more establishment aides, who said he fueled Trump's conspiracy theories and distrust of the intelligence community. But he had maintained Trump's support, as the president believed he was loyal and had insight into military affairs. He was also particularly close to Stephen Bannon, the president's top strategist and a philosophical and strategic adviser with a vast sway on the presidency.

Over the weekend, Bannon pulled Flynn aside for a conversation, according to a White House official. Bannon, who had supported Flynn amid turmoil, told him he should "do the right thing" and resign, this official said.

It would have broken longstanding precedent, and possibly the law, for Flynn to have discussed the sanctions with the Kremlin before the inauguration, when he was still a private citizen. Flynn had acknowledged speaking to Russia’s ambassador in that time but denied that the sanctions came up, and Vice President Mike Pence went on television to back him up.

Questions about Flynn’s status were met with conflicting responses by White House officials earlier Monday. “The president is evaluating the situation,” White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters Monday evening. “He's getting input, he's looking at the situation.”

Earlier in the day, Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway sent a different message in a television appearance. “General Flynn does enjoy the full confidence of the president,” Conway told MSNBC.

Flynn spent the weekend with Trump in Florida at the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort and was part of the delegation welcoming Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the White House on Monday.

Meanwhile, Democrats on the House oversight committee delivered a letter Monday night to committee chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) asking for an investigation into Flynn and his ties to Russia.
170213_donald_trump_ap_1160.jpg

White House
Trump under fire for lax security practices

By Darren Samuelsohn, Eric Geller and Matthew Nussbaum

With Flynn gone, attention immediately focused on who would be appointed to replace him. For the moment, the job was in the hands of 72-year-old Joseph Keith Kellogg Jr., widely known as Keith Kellogg. The former general, a combat veteran of Vietnam and later a leading figure in the transition government of Iraq after the ouster of Saddam Hussein, had been appointed in December to his NSC position.

The most notable name in the mix was that of Petraeus, who was briefly considered for secretary of state during the transition but was passed over in part because of his 2015 conviction for mishandling classified information.

Trump has long admired Petraeus and sought his counsel. "Trump likes him, he respects him," said a person close to Trump.

Petraeus did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Earlier Monday, sources close to the White House said Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner was involved with the search, though a senior White House official disputed that. At that time, other names mentioned as possible replacements included: Stephen Hadley, who served as national security adviser under President George W. Bush; Tom Bossert, who also served as a national security aide under Bush and now oversees cybersecurity under Trump; Adm. James Stavridis, dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts; and Department of Homeland Security head John Kelly.

Hadley, who served in previous Republican administrations, also did not respond to a request for comment. During the campaign, he declined to sign letters issued by mainstream Republicans criticizing Trump’s most provocative stances. He said at the time that he felt that should Trump win it would be advisable that he feel comfortable turning to experienced members of the party’s foreign policy establishment for advice.

Stavridis, a former commander of NATO, emailed POLITICO that he has not heard anything from the White House. “All quiet in my nets,” the retired admiral said.

Bryan Bender and Josh Gerstein contributed to this report.




Stabbed in the back?
#14775972
Holy shit they're talking about bringing Petraeus back. Could he be America's George McClellan of the 21st century?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/don ... f370d8c576

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Former CIA Director David Petraeus already has the president’s trust and admiration.
02/13/2017 12:56 pm ET | Updated 1 hour ago
3.2k

Christina Wilkie White House reporter, The Huffington Post
X

As he began his fourth week in office Monday, President Donald Trump faced intense pressure to cut ties with his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, following reports that Flynn lied to top administration officials. Late Monday, Flynn resigned.

Sources familiar with the situation said the president’s staffers are now “trying to prepare options” ― including replacements.

Among the top contenders to replace Flynn is retired Gen. David Petraeus, according to current and former National Security Council staffers who requested anonymity in speaking to The Huffington Post. Petraeus, a former CIA director, led U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he is still widely respected in national security and intelligence circles. He’s due to meet with Trump this week at the White House, according to former NSC staffers.

Also being considered for the job are Vice Adm. Robert Harward, a former deputy to Defense Secretary James Mattis; Stephen Hadley, the former national security adviser to President George W. Bush; and retired Gen. Keith Kellogg Jr., who was National Security Council chief of staff until Monday night, when Trump promoted him to acting national security adviser.

More than any of the candidates, however, Petraeus has earned the trust and admiration of both the president and the broader political and military community. But there are still potential obstacles to Petraeus’ appointment.

In the spring of 2015, the general pleaded guilty to giving classified information to his biographer, Paula Broadwell, with whom he was having an extramarital affair. As part of the plea deal, Petraeus was placed on two years’ probation, set to expire within weeks. It is unclear whether Petraeus would be granted a top-level security clearance while he’s still on probation or whether Trump could grant him a presidential pardon.

Trump also spent the good part of the general election berating his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, for her mishandling of classified information. In theory, it could be difficult for him to turn around and appoint an official who, while punished, acted even more carelessly.

That said, Petraeus’ years of service under a Democratic administration could quell opposition among Democrats, many of whom are on the record praising Petraeus over the years.

Installing Petraeus as national security adviser could also go a long way toward helping the president mend fences with the intelligence community, which has long been wary of Trump and his core group of advisers, including Flynn.

“Folks would be much more comfortable with Petraeus, that’s for sure,” said a White House aide.

Late last year, Trump briefly considered Petraeus for secretary of state, but ultimately settled on former Exxon Mobil Chairman Rex Tillerson. At the time, Petraeus said it would be up to Trump to determine whether his lifetime of service to the country was enough to overcome the seriousness of his missteps in the Broadwell affair.

“They’ll have to factor that in,” Petraeus told ABC News of his criminal record. “And also, obviously, my 38½ years of unique service to our country, in uniform and at the CIA,” he said.
#14775978
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 78231.html

Reince Priebus, the White House Chief of Staff, is ‘in way over his head’, according to a confidante of Donald Trump.

Christopher Ruddy, the CEO of Newsmax Media, a conservative leaning news outlet, recently spent time with the President and suggested Mr Trump should replace his Chief of Staff.

Mr Ruddy would not reveal if the President had confided in him about Mr Priebus but said he had “botched this whole immigration rollout”.
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“A lot of people have been saying, ‘Look, Donald has some problems,’ and I think he realises that he’s got to make some changes going forward,” Mr Ruddy told The Washington Post.

“It’s my view that Reince is the problem. I think on paper Reince looked good as the chief of staff — and Donald trusted him — but it’s pretty clear the guy is in way over his head.

“He’s not knowledgeable of how federal agencies work, how the communications operations work. He botched this whole immigration rollout. This should’ve been a win for Donald, not two or three weeks of negative publicity,” he added.

Mr Ruddy also appeared on CNN where he criticised Mr Priebus during an interview before later trying to soften his words by taking to Twitter to say he had an “open mind” on the Chief of Staff.

“Reince just briefed me on new WH plans. Impressive! CNN today my personal view. Told him I have 'open mind' based on his results,” he said.
The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued

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Mr Ruddy said he spent half an hour talking privately with Mr Trump after the president’s dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

He insisted the conversation was completely "private" and would not reveal exact details of what was discussed.
#14775981
He lied by omission to Pence about a discussion he had with an ambassador leaving Pence with an incomplete set of details. That's why he was told to resign. Inner circle liars should be let go on the spot. Nice to know this Administration is holding people accountable at the highest levels. It's not just another Obama's appointment garage sale. It also means this will be a more effective government, now that Trump has proven he isn't afraid to fire at will, and when required.

Also, he's a registered democrat? Republicans can't be trusted, but democrats shouldn't be allowed anywhere near government.

lol @ trump should resign/be impeached. As I said, this is going to be a rough 8 years on you snowflakes.
#14775983
Zagadka wrote:As entertaining as it may be for you, it kinda sucks from here.

I reckon it must.
For me personally, Trump as president has been surreal as fuck. He has to go and it's just a matter of time. Trump should resign as he is mortally wounded but he is such an arrogant fucker he will have to be kicked out.

Mike Flynn might be done – but Trump's nightmare has just begun
#14775984
Igor Antunov wrote:He lied by omission to Pence about a discussion he had with an ambassador leaving Pence with an incomplete set of details..

lol, and you mock other people for being suckers.

Trump ALWAYS forces his cabinet to resign for slight oversights!

What's a little treason between trolls?
#14775991
It seems that Flynn had been to a party in Moscow, an RT News party.
Putin was there.
The question now is...Did Flynn discuss sanctions with Putin?

Trump adviser Michael T. Flynn on his dinner with Putin and why Russia Today is just like CNN


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/che ... 9f85d5f771
#14775995
“He’s not knowledgeable of how federal agencies work, how the communications operations work. He botched this whole immigration rollout. This should’ve been a win for Donald, not two or three weeks of negative publicity,” he added.


I'm starting to notice a correlation between those who want small government and those who don't know how the government works.
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