Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn resigned earlier this week while admitting to misleading Vice President Mike Pence by giving him “incomplete information” about his phone calls with a Russian ambassador. As it turns out, Flynn had discussed sanctions with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak before Trump took office, and the Washington Post now reveals that Flynn also denied to the FBI that any sanctions discussion had taken place.
All of this has driven Trump to regularly lash out while trying to downplay the real Russia-related concern as “leaks” from U.S. intelligence agencies. He’s upset that the true nature of Flynn’s calls surfaced, which led him to resign after mounting reports that he was vulnerable to Russian blackmail. Flynn lost his security clearance following his resignation. Now, WaPo says the FBI matter might place Flynn in legal peril:
The Jan. 24 interview potentially puts Flynn in legal jeopardy, as lying to the FBI is a felony, but any decision to prosecute would ultimately lie with the Justice Department. Some officials said bringing a case could prove difficult in part because Flynn may attempt to parse the definition of sanctions.
A spokesman for Flynn said he had no response. The FBI declined to comment.
At this time, Flynn hasn’t been charged with any crimes for his alleged misconduct. He likely violated the Logan Act (a 1799 U.S. federal law that bans citizens from negotiating with foreign powers who have a dispute with the U.S.), but prosecution is extremely unlikely under the Logan Act because — well — that’s never happened before. However, lying to the FBI is a whole other matter, which could ultimately result in perjury charges.
None of this information will quell the Internet’s memory of Flynn’s “lock her up” speech about Hillary Clinton at the GOP convention. Not to mention the fact that Donald Trump’s head may very well explode soon over the media’s continued Russia reports, so this saga isn’t even close to finished.
(Via Washington Post)