Holy Sheep Dip.
Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates, who was fired by Donald Trump last month, personally delivered a message to the president indicating National Security Advisor Michael Flynn misled administration officials about his conversation with the Russian ambassador to the United States, the Washington Post reports.
In her message, Yates also told the new president she believed Flynn to be potentially vulnerable to blackmail by Russian operatives, current and former U.S. officials told the Washington Post. According to one of the officials, Yates’ concerns were shared by former CIA director John Brennan and former director of national intelligence James R. Clapper, who became concerned towards the end of the President Barack Obama’s administration, that “Flynn had put himself in a compromising position” with regards to Russia.
Flynn spoke to Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in December 2016, offering consolation with regards to the pending sanctions against Russia by then-president Obama. Speaking on Monday. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) revealed Russia could have audio recordings of Flynn speaking with Russian officials during the waning days of the Obama administration. This would indicate Flynn lied to Vice President Mike Pence, who relayed claims in mid-January that Flynn did not discuss sanctions with Russian officials.
Ho Boy!
On top of reports that the Intel community has been hiding classified information from the Trump White House because of their fear it might be leaked to the Russians not long ago — like a few hours — the Trump administration was proclaiming that General Flynn had their “full confidence.”
Rep. Adam Schiff has said that Flynn may have used encrypted communication to hide his talks with the Russians.
“They know that if there is a transcript, if there are recordings, that can’t be dismissed,” Schiff said. “The fact that they would mislead the country about this is inexplicable.”
“What I think is interesting here, there are allegations — again, as yet unproven — that they may have also used encrypted communications,” he added. “Since Flynn was talking with the Russians, if he was using encrypted communications, it wasn’t to conceal it from the Russians. Then you have to ask, who were they concealing conversations from?”
According to Schiff, the allegations suggest that Flynn engaged in encrypted communications in addition to the un-encrypted discussions that were reportedly recorded by U.S. intelligence agencies.
And then this happened.
Late Monday night, the Washington Post reported that the Trump White House had been warned that Flynn was a risk by acting Attorney General Sally Yates — an opinion seconded by former CIA director John Brennan and former director of national intelligence James R. Clapper.
Yates was famously fired by Trump for failing to back his immigration ban on Muslims and refugees.
Discussing the bombshell report, Gergen, who wrote former President Richard Nixon’s resignation letter, said the report is a major development and could impact more than Flynn.
“David,” a stunned CNN host Anderson Cooper said to Gergen, “It doesn’t stop. We don’t have the reporting on this, it comes from the Washington Post.”
What is missing from the story so far is the president of the United States. When did he know and when did he know it,” Gergen said, invoking former Sen Howard Baker’s comment that opened the gates for Nixon’s resignation in the face of impeachment.
“If they had a report to the legal counsel, the general counsel would have presumably reported to the president, why is Flynn still there?” Gergen continued. “It’s unimaginable that the White House general counsel would sit on it, not tell anybody else in the White House. In every White House I’ve ever been in, this would go to the president like that,” he said as he snapped his fingers.
“This is very serious stuff. If you’re told that your national security adviser is potentially vulnerable to blackmail by the Russians, that is extremely serious,” he concluded
Yes, it is serious — extremely serious — yet Flynn has remained at his post after this revelation for at least a month., while Yates was Fired!!!!! Why?
Tuesday, Feb 14, 2017 · 4:11:43 AM +00:00 · Frank Vyan Walton
CNN has read Flynn's resignation letter on air, are saying that the acting NSA director is now Ret. General Keith Kellogg and that former General David Petraeus — who plead guilty to giving classified information to his girlfriend for her journalism career — may be tapped as Flynn’s replacement.
From frying pan to fire in less than a month. Good job Drumpf.
Tuesday, Feb 14, 2017 · 4:29:49 AM +00:00 · Frank Vyan Walton
This is not a flesh wound. Flynn lied to the Vice President and the former acting Attorney General specifically warned them about this a month ago, only to be fired. It’s not just about Flynn, it’s about the amazing incompetence and dysfunction of this Administration. Excising Flynn doesn’t remove the cancer, it’s already metastasized.
