FLYNN GUILTY OF VIOLATION OF THE LOGAN ACT

[Buckly J. Ewer]

Flynn's talks with Russian ambassador point to larger problem

(CNN)New reports from the Washington Post and the New York Times, citing interviews with multiple current and former senior government officials, directly contradict statements by President Trump's national security adviser, Gen. Michael Flynn, and others in the administration, including Vice President Mike Pence, about what exactly transpired during conversations between Flynn and Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak as the administrations made their transition.

As CNN reported last month, US counterintelligence agents monitoring Kislyak discovered that Flynn had been in contact with the ambassador. But Trump's people strongly rejected suggestions that Flynn promised Russia that Trump would lift the sanctions then-President Obama was about to impose after US intelligence concluded that Russia interfered in the US election. If Flynn had such discussions, that could amount to a violation of the Logan Act against interference in foreign diplomacy by non-government officials, although prosecutions over violations of that act have never happened.

Flynn and others claimed the phone calls dealt only with arrangements for a call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Last month Pence went on CBS's Face the Nation and repeated that story.
But in light of the new revelations, senior White House officials have started walking back Pence's assertions, telling CNN that the vice president only knew what Flynn told him and didn't know that Flynn had discussed sanctions and acknowledging that he believes, "it's a problem." Pence, sources said, is trying to "get to the bottom of it."
Perhaps Flynn should have planned his answer better, considering he has a background in intelligence. It turns out the calls were not just monitored, they were recorded and transcribed. Federal officials told the Times that they read the transcript and Flynn did discuss lifting sanctions. Flynn appears to have lied and may have lied to Pence, who repeated it. Now Flynn is backtracking on his version of events, saying he cannot rule out having spoken about sanctions in his talk with the Russian ambassador, according to an aide to Flynn.
Flynn, in fact, had at least five calls with Kislyak. His ties with Russia have remained a controversial part of his resume. He sat next to Putin at a dinner in Moscow in 2015, and he has long-standing ties to Russian intelligence dating to before the Trump presidential campaign.
As the evidence against Flynn mounts, entangling others officials up to the vice president, it seems likely that the Trump administration will throw him overboard. But sacrificing Flynn will not remove the cloud of suspicion hanging over the Trump administration and Russia.
Even before America's 17 intelligence agencies concluded that Putin had ordered Russian intelligence to launch a campaign to influence the American election and help Trump win; even before we learned about a secret dossier put together by a respected former British intelligence agent claiming (without confirmation) the Russians had compromising information on Trump -- long before that, Trump's statements and his campaigns actions regarding Russia ranged from startling to shocking.
He started with high praise of Putin in 2015, followed by stunning suggestions that he might recognize Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and lift sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies after Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine, annexed Crimea and sent Russian troops to fight alongside separatists in Ukraine's Donbas region.
Then Trump campaign officials scrubbed the Republican platform at the convention, removing criticism of Russia and statements of support for Ukrainian independence that had been uncontroversial before Trump's candidacy.

Trump is not the first president to want to improve relations with Russia, but he is the first to suggest doing it by adjusting American policy to suit Russian interests. And he is the first to offer effusive praise of an autocratic ruler (whose critics frequently turn up dead) by smearing his own country.
Why is Trump so committed to a radical recasting of America's Russia policy? His knowledge of Russia and bilateral ties is hardly sophisticated. He didn't know Russian troops were in Ukraine, and leaked reports reveal he paused a recent phone call with Putin to ask an aide about a major treaty. That's not unexpected for a newcomer to foreign policy, but his lack of knowledge makes his early determination to overhaul relations even more curious.
As the media and the public try to keep up with an incessant barrage of lies, controversies, foreign policy missteps, and ethical violations, the Trump administration may hope that the Russia question will go away. But few issues are more important.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/10/opinions/trump-flynn-russia-relations-ghitis/

[Buckly J. Ewer]

Flynn's Talks With Russia May Have Broken the Law

NEWSER) – President Trump's national security adviser may be in hot water over his talks with the Russian ambassador before Trump took office. The upshot of stories in the Washington Post and the New York Times is the same: They say Michael Flynn discussed sanctions with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, despite Flynn's denials. Both stories are based on anonymous US officials. As recently as Wednesday, Flynn flatly denied discussing sanctions with Kislyak, but the Post notes that his response shifted Thursday: A spokesman said Flynn "indicated that while he had no recollection of discussing sanctions, he couldn't be certain that the topic never came up." If it did, Flynn may have violated a federal law called the Logan Act that forbids private citizens from interfering in foreign policy.

The FBI is investigating, though both stories agree that any prosecution would be difficult, to say the least. The problem? It's never been done before and thus there's no case history, notes the Post. The Times, meanwhile, calls the law "murky" and doesn't think it's likely to be used against a sitting national security adviser. One gray area is just how explicit Flynn was in discussing the sanctions. Both stories suggest that he left Kislyak with the impression that the Trump administration could unwind any sanctions put in place by President Obama over Moscow's alleged meddling in the election, though he reportedly did not make an explicit promise to that effect. At worst then, it might wind up being seen as a breach of protocol, though one that could embarrass Trump officials such as Mike Pence who've publicly denied that Flynn even discussed the penalties.

http://www.newser.com/story/238155/flynns-talks-with-russia-may-have-broken-the-law.html

[Minister of Truth]

LOCK HIM UP!!

[Buckly J. Ewer]

Did Michael Flynn Violate the Logan Act? Will He Resign Over Russia?

Major reports by The Washington Post and New York Times about United States’ national security advisor, Michael Flynn, raise questions about whether Flynn violated a law known as the Logan Act.

However, it’s a law that no one has ever been found guilty of violating, despite being on the books since 1798, according to The Washington Post, which added, “It seems its main purpose these past 200 years has been as a political weapon for the opposition party to cast doubt on the other party’s foreign policies.”

Will Flynn resign or be fired? That was the other question circulating around Twitter after the reports alleged that he spoke about sanctions with the Russian ambassador before Trump took office and the day before the Obama Administration announced them.

Follow
DebKvande @vfdal
MICHAEL FLYNN MUST RESIGN IMMEDIATELY!!!
8:04 PM - 9 Feb 2017

There was one bad sign for Flynn from Vice President Michael Pence, who seemed to be implying that, if the new reports are accurate, Flynn had misled him. In January, CBS News and others reported that the Obama administration had evidence of contact between Flynn and Kislyak, but Pence and Sean Spicer denied that sanctions were discussed. Now Pence says:

[Buckly J. Ewer]

Flynn may well end up in prison.
Flynn's guilt is an affirmation that trump's presidency is illegitimate...

[Buckly J. Ewer]

LOCK HIM UP!!

ABSO-FUCKIN'-LUTELY!!!

[canceled.2021.2]

Buck tooth never even heard of the Logan Act

He thought they were talking about Logans Run

[The_Trump_Effect]

Flynn can talk to anyone he chooses, including Hillary Clinton after she is locked up for espionage. Be careful you might just get what you want

[CFM]

Flynn may well end up in prison.
Flynn's guilt is an affirmation that trump's presidency is illegitimate...

The only thing illegitimate here is you, boy. Do you know which sperm donor your mother was with around the time you were conceived is your baby daddy?

[CFM]

Buck tooth never even heard of the Logan Act

He thought they were talking about Logans Run

Or the Logan's Roadhouse restaurant.

[The_Trump_Effect]

The only thing illegitimate here is you, boy. Do you know which sperm donor your mother was with around the time you were conceived is your baby daddy?

His mom had plenty of willing donors at the shelter........................

[CFM]

His mom had plenty of willing donors at the shelter........................

She was called the "Doorknob". Everyone got their turn.

[christiefan915]

Flynn can talk to anyone he chooses, including Hillary Clinton after she is locked up for espionage. Be careful you might just get what you want

Even the WH liars can't get their stories straight.

"It's been known that Flynn had contacts — text messages and at least one phone conversation — with the Russian ambassador before President Trump's inauguration. The White House has said nothing improper took place, although its explanations for those contacts have shifted.

In an interview this week, Flynn twice flatly denied discussing sanctions with Kislyak, the Post says. But the newspaper adds that Flynn's spokesman later gave a more nuanced response, saying that Flynn "indicated that while he had no recollection of discussing sanctions, he couldn't be certain that the topic never came up."

The topic has evolved over time: When NPR's Tamara Keith reported on the issue on Jan. 13, she said, "Sean Spicer, the spokesman and incoming White House press secretary, insisted all of this contact happened before President Obama announced the retaliation, and, as a result, Obama's move to expel 35 Russian diplomats wasn't a topic of conversation."

Those sanctions were announced on Dec. 29; within hours of saying all of Flynn's contact with Kislyak had taken place on Dec. 28, Spicer clarified to NPR that a phone call between Flynn and Kislyak had taken place "around the same time" the retaliation was announced. As to whether the two discussed the U.S. sanctions and/or a potential Russian response, Spicer told Tamara it was "doubtful."

On Friday, the Kremlin delivered a rather unenthusiastic denial of the Post's story. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, reports state-run TASS media, "said his understanding is that 'there were certain conversations (between Flynn and Kislyak)', though 'it is better to double check the information in the Foreign Ministry."

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-w...ns-with-russia

[Rune]

Trump is going down.

[CFM]

Even the WH liars can't get their stories straight.

"It's been known that Flynn had contacts — text messages and at least one phone conversation — with the Russian ambassador before President Trump's inauguration. The White House has said nothing improper took place, although its explanations for those contacts have shifted.

In an interview this week, Flynn twice flatly denied discussing sanctions with Kislyak, the Post says. But the newspaper adds that Flynn's spokesman later gave a more nuanced response, saying that Flynn "indicated that while he had no recollection of discussing sanctions, he couldn't be certain that the topic never came up."

The topic has evolved over time: When NPR's Tamara Keith reported on the issue on Jan. 13, she said, "Sean Spicer, the spokesman and incoming White House press secretary, insisted all of this contact happened before President Obama announced the retaliation, and, as a result, Obama's move to expel 35 Russian diplomats wasn't a topic of conversation."

Those sanctions were announced on Dec. 29; within hours of saying all of Flynn's contact with Kislyak had taken place on Dec. 28, Spicer clarified to NPR that a phone call between Flynn and Kislyak had taken place "around the same time" the retaliation was announced. As to whether the two discussed the U.S. sanctions and/or a potential Russian response, Spicer told Tamara it was "doubtful."

On Friday, the Kremlin delivered a rather unenthusiastic denial of the Post's story. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, reports state-run TASS media, "said his understanding is that 'there were certain conversations (between Flynn and Kislyak)', though 'it is better to double check the information in the Foreign Ministry."

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-w...ns-with-russia

You mean like "if you like your doctor you can keep your doctor" lie?