Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn told Donald Trump’s transition team he was under federal investigation well before the inauguration, the New York Times reports.
The disclosure was made on Jan. 4 to the transition team’s chief lawyer Donald F. McGahn II. About a month after Flynn was notified of an investigation into his work as a paid lobbyist for Turkey during the 2016 campaign, Trump made Flynn his national security adviser—providing him access to the most sensitive intelligence secrets in the world.
Flynn was not fired from the position until 24 days into Trump’s administration—and a full18 days after former acting attorney general Sally Yates warned the White House Flynn was potentially compromised by the Russians and had been interviewed by the FBI.
The day after Flynn’s dismissal, Tump implored former FBI Director James Comey to drop the FBI’s investigation in Flynn, according to memos written by Comey immediately following the meeting.
Flynn, as well as former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, are emerging as the subjects of the ongoing investigation into Trump campaign official’s ties to Russia and possible collusion with the Russian government. According to NBC news, “multiple grand jury subpoenas” have been issued in connection with Manafort and Flynn. One of the subpoenas, according to the Times, demands “records, research, contracts, bank records, communications” of documents related to Flynn.
