Flynn FBI Deal: Can Michael Flynn Testimony Bring Down Donald Trump Presidency?
As reported by Law Newz, rumors are flying that a Michael Flynn FBI deal might be in the works. If this turns out to be true, many are wondering if the former national security advisor’s testimony could be the final nail in the coffin for the Donald Trump presidency. Certainly, if Flynn testifies that Donald Trump knew about his alleged pre-inauguration negotiations with the Russians on U.S. sanctions, Trump’s days in the White House might be numbered.
Resignation of Michael Flynn
FBI deal or not, it’s quite possible that former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn could easily be in a position to do a lot of damage to the Donald Trump presidency if he so chose. That’s why the possibility of a Flynn FBI deal is so tantalizing to those investigating any potential ties between the Trump White House and Russia.
It was only days into the Trump administration that leaks revealed just how closely tied Michael Flynn apparently was to Russia and Vladimir Putin. While it was already known that Flynn had – following his rather tumultuous dismissal from the Department of Defense – traveled to Moscow and interacted with Putin and other high-level Russian officials, these new revelations were an eye-opener.
Allegedly, Michael Flynn carried out secret negotiations with the Russians regarding the sanctions imposed on them following their actions in the Crimea and against Ukraine. These discussions also supposedly addressed the latest sanctions being imposed by the Obama administration as a response to Russian interference in the United States 2016 election. Flynn reportedly advised Putin not to respond to the sanctions, since they would – he reportedly implied – be lifted once Trump was in office.
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If a Flynn FBI deal were to reveal that other high Trump administration officials – or Donald Trump himself – were aware of Flynn’s interactions with the Russians regarding sanctions, it’s easy to visualize a situation in which Trump might either have to resign or be impeached.
Flynn and Turkey
The possibility of a Flynn FBI deal probably increased significantly following further revelations about a meeting in one of Donald Trump’s hotels where Michael Flynn allegedly spoke with Turkish officials. The topic of this meeting related to a deal to ship an Islamic cleric named Fethullah Gulen – who has legal residency in the United States – back to Turkey for trial. It has been revealed that Flynn was actually being paid by Turkey at the time.
According to former CIA director James Woolsey – who happened to be in attendance briefly – the discussions on September 19, 2016, seemed to be suggesting a deal that wouldn’t be in keeping with United States extradition laws. At the same time, it should be noted that Woolsey doesn’t say that a firm plan for this deal was actually spelled out at the meeting.
As reported by the Daily Kos, an interesting and recent addendum to this revelation is that House intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes was with Flynn at another breakfast meeting with Turkish officials in January. Remarkably, Nunes is in charge of carrying out the congressional investigation into Donald Trump’s connections to Russia. If this isn’t a conflict of interest, it certainly gives every appearance of being one.
So, the rumored Flynn FBI deal could have ramifications for Donald Trump, the Trump administration as a whole, and even other elected representatives in government. Whether FBI Director James Comey will vigorously pursue this investigation and ensure that any incriminating results are followed up with prosecutions is unclear at this time. Comey has, on occasion, demonstrated a certain independence from his fellow Republicans. But on the other hand, the FBI did release damaging information about the Clinton campaign just prior to the 2016 election, despite the fact that Comey ultimately admitted there was nothing there.
[Featured Image by Win McNamee/Getty Images]
