[anarchist23]

President Donald Trump's ex-national security adviser, Michael Flynn, has been charged with making a false statement to the FBI in January.
Mr Flynn was forced to resign the following month after misleading the White House about meeting the Russian ambassador before Mr Trump took office.
The charges were brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, as part of his investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US election.
Mr Flynn arrived at court on Friday.
He was expected to plead guilty to one count of knowingly making "false, fictitious and fraudulent statements", reports said. Ahead of Friday morning's court session in Washington DC, two officials were quoted by Reuters news agency as saying he had turned himself in to the FBI.
The former aide is the most senior member of the Trump administration so far to have been indicted by the Mueller investigation.
In October, Mr Trump's former presidential campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was accused of conspiring to defraud the US in his dealings with Ukraine. It also emerged that another ex-aide, George Papadopoulos, had pleaded guilty to making false statements to FBI agents.
■ The Trump-Russia saga in 200 words
■ Who's who in the drama to end all dramas?
■ Russia: The 'cloud' over the Trump White House
■ Trump-Russia inquiry: How did we get here?
Just over a week ago, US media said his legal team had told the president's lawyers they could no longer discuss the case, prompting suggestions that he had begun co-operating with prosecutors. If confirmed, that would indicate Mr Flynn's lawyers have reached a plea bargain.
According to the charges faced by Michael Flynn, he is accused of:
■ falsely telling FBI agents that on or about 29 December 2016 he did not ask Russia's then ambassador to the US, Sergei Kislyak, to "refrain from escalating the situation in response to sanctions that the United States had imposed against Russia that same day"
■ failing to recall that Mr Kislyak had later told him Russia was moderating its response to the sanctions as a result of his request
■ falsely saying that on or about 22 December 2016 he did not ask Mr Kislyak to "delay the vote on or defeat a pending United Nations Security Council resolution".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42192080

[Beren]

What next? Manafort perhaps?

[anarchist23]

[blackjack21]

What next? Manafort perhaps?

Manafort has already been charged, and his is a serious charge as it is a fairly clear cut case of tax evasion. Most of the rest of it is BS. Manafort has the financial resources to fight it, but I doubt that Flynn does.

[Rancid]

The stock market has dropped sharply due to this news.

[Beren]

Manafort has already been charged, and his is a serious charge as it is a fairly clear cut case of tax evasion. Most of the rest of it is BS. Manafort has the financial resources to fight it, but I doubt that Flynn does.

So Manafort hasn't cut a deal yet, right? That's what I meant, because Flynn seems to have.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - ABC News reported on Friday that former U.S. national security adviser Michael Flynn is prepared to testify that President Donald Trump directed him to make contact with Russians when he was a presidential candidate.

[blackjack21]

So Manafort hasn't cut a deal yet, right? That's what I meant, because Flynn seems to have.

No. Some of the charges against Manafort are essentially double jeopardy and violating the spirit of legislative intent. Some are routinely not charged, so it's a bit like charging someone with criminal marital infidelity: it just isn't done. However, that tax charge is pretty solid and it's quite a lot of money. So far, there is no evidence of collusion with Russia prior to the election, or any evidence that Trump asked the Russians to hack the DNC server--and I suspect they will never find anything to that effect.

The stock market has dropped sharply due to this news.

Yeah, and I can't sell my largest holding, because of trading window rules for insiders. I have to wait until after we report earnings later this month.

[Foxfyre]

The stock market has dropped sharply due to this news.

It is down less than a hundred, which is hardly 'sharply' in the volatile market we have had in 2017. That is most likely a simple profit taking after the market broke the 24,000 mark and considerably more after the great day yesterday.

I don't think anybody who doesn't live under a rock thought Mueller wouldn't indict somebody for something. Nobody would believe he did his job if he closed up shop without producing something. Had there been a special counsel investigating the Obama Administration, something that was not permitted for those eight years, no telling who all would have gone to jail or at least been accused. But I am pretty darn sure several would have. As would have in pretty much every Administration.

It is no secret that Flynn had to leave the Trump Administration for giving flawed testimony/explanation of things. So this isn't all that much news to most of us who have been following it closely.

I wonder if we will have a special counsel to look into all the sex scandals, especially the one that millions have been paid out of congressional accounts to shut up victims of sexual impropriety. I'm pretty sure neither the Democrats nor the Republicans want a special counsel looking into that.

[Beren]

There is no much reason for the stock market to drop sharply. The tax cuts are not in danger, only the Trump administration is.

[Beren]

Kushner may be the next one: Kushner Is Said to Have Ordered Flynn to Contact Russia

[Verv]

The White House is saying that the Obama administration agreed to allow Flynn to begin talks with Russia.

Flynn has also made it clear that he has not committed any act of treason.

It is a nothing burger but vaguely interesting to see the inside of American political operations like this.

[Rugoz]

It's time to post this again:

[Atlantis]

It wouldn't be surprising if Trump himself were to inadvertently provide the evidence that could lead to his impeachment. He obviously can't remember what lie he tweeted when.

Now, he tweeted that he knew that Flynn was lying to the FBI when he sacked him. If he knew that Flynn lied to the FBI at a time he asked the agency to drop its investigation of Flynn or when he sacked Comey, he is finished.

Trump's tweet on Flynn could end presidency

“Are you ADMITTING you knew Flynn had lied to the FBI when you asked Comey to back off Flynn?” Walter Shaub, the former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, tweeted at Trump.

“Before we slipped into an alternate universe of unabashed corruption, this tweet alone might have ended a Presidential administration," he added.

[MistyTiger]

Trump is the classic example of how having a big mouth can get a person in trouble.

I believe that Kushner will be found guilty and Trump will be called in to be interrogated. I don't believe that Trump had no knowledge of all the going ons during his campaigning. Kushner was not acting alone.

[ThirdTerm]

Jared Kushner is the "very senior member" of President Donald Trump's transition team who directed incoming national security adviser Michael Flynn to contact the Russian ambassador to the United States and other countries about a UN Security Council vote on Israeli settlements, sources familiar with the matter tell CNN.

The filings from Flynn's plea hearing Friday say a "very senior member" of Trump's transition team asked Flynn to contact officials from UN Security Council countries, including Russia, to learn where each country stood on the vote on a resolution condemning Israeli settlement activity and "to influence those governments to delay the vote or defeat the resolution."
An attorney for Kushner did not respond to a request for comment.

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/12/01/polit ... index.html

Kushner asked Flynn to contact all Perm Five members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) about a UN Security Council vote on Israeli settlements, which are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Probably Kushner was already lobbying for Israel at this point. It's said that Kushner is on his way out of the administration as Trump can no longer trust his advise.

[anarchist23]

Donald Trump has responded to a guilty plea by his former national security adviser Michael Flynn, saying Mr Flynn's actions as a member of his transition team "were lawful".

Mr Flynn has entered a plea deal and agreed to co-operate with an inquiry into alleged collusion with Russia.
The deal, for a lesser charge than he might have faced, prompted speculation that he has incriminating evidence.
The president wrote on Twitter on Saturday that he had "nothing to hide".
Under the terms of the plea deal - offered to Mr Flynn by Special Counsel Robert Mueller as part of his investigation into the Russia scandal - Mr Flynn admitted making false statements to the FBI.
Analysts say the deal suggests that the former general has evidence implicating one or more senior members of the Trump administration.
Responding to Mr Flynn's indictment, Mr Trump tweeted: "I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice-President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!"
In the tweet, he appeared to admit that he knew before he fired Mr Flynn that the former general had lied to the FBI, contradicting his own account of the sacking from the time and once again raising speculation that his actions could amount to obstruction of justice.
Mr Flynn has admitted lying about his contact with the Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak in December 2016 - after Mr Trump was elected but before he became president.
The charging documents against Mr Flynn state that he was directed to make contact with Russian officials by a "very senior member" of the Trump transition team.
Several US news organisations report the very senior official now under the spotlight is Jared Kushner - Mr Trump's adviser and son-in-law.
US intelligence agencies say Russia's President Vladimir Putin directed a state effort to influence the US election in favour of Mr Trump.
Mr Trump has repeatedly denied that his campaign or transition team colluded in Russian actions. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, he said: "What has been shown is no collusion, no collusion. There has been absolutely no collusion. So we're very happy."
Mr Flynn was questioned by the FBI shortly after Mr Trump took office in January about his December meetings with Mr Kislyak. He was forced to resign in February, 23 days into his job.
According to the FBI's statement of offence signed by Mr Flynn, he discussed Russia's response to US sanctions as well as a UN Security Council resolution on Israel, at the direction of the Trump team.
Under the Logan Act it is illegal for a private US citizen, as Mr Flynn was during the transition period, to conduct foreign affairs without the permission or involvement of the US government.
The charge of making false statements normally carries up to five years in prison, but under the terms of his plea deal Mr Flynn faces a lighter sentence of only up to six months, court filings show.
The administration has sought to distance itself from Mr Flynn. White House lawyer Ty Cobb said on Friday: "Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr Flynn."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42209758

[Kaiserschmarrn]

The White House is saying that the Obama administration agreed to allow Flynn to begin talks with Russia.

Flynn has also made it clear that he has not committed any act of treason.

It is a nothing burger but vaguely interesting to see the inside of American political operations like this.

There is a valid question to ask though: Why has Flynn lied? Obviously, this makes him look guilty or at least like he has something to hide. It seems reasonable to assume that nobody lies to the VP and the FBI for no good reason.

[Godstud]

Flynn will spill the beans because he'll realize that Trump isn't going to pardon him, and disavow anything that he says. This is what gets the ball rolling.

[Beren]

Flynn will spill the beans because he'll realize that Trump isn't going to pardon him, and disavow anything that he says. This is what gets the ball rolling.

Maybe Trump won't be president when he should pardon Flynn.

[Oxymoron]

Flynn will spill the beans because he'll realize that Trump isn't going to pardon him, and disavow anything that he says. This is what gets the ball rolling.

There are no Beans, otherwise he would not get such a sweet heart deal from the Prosecution.