Summary: The Russia investigation has added another person to focus on, trying to find evidence of a Russian involvement in the election.
The son of President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser is being investigated for Russia connections. Michael G. Flynn is being investigated for an involvement in possible Russian meddling in the presidential election and potential involvement between the Trump campaign and Moscow. Four current and former government officials claim he was involved.
Flynn was involved with his father’s lobbying firm, Flynn Intel Group, and is the focus of the investigation. Barry Coburn is representing the younger Flynn. He is a target because of his father’s connection to foreign governments, especially Russia and Turkey. Flynn worked closely with his father during many trips, including one to Moscow where his father delivered a paid speech at a gala for the state-sponsored television network RT. The trip was in December of 2015.
RT paid the airfare for Flynn and his father to attend the gala and stay in a luxury hotel for three nights. House Oversight Committee records show that the elder Flynn was paid $34,000 for the speech. He was seated at the same table as Russian President Vladimir Putin for the dinner. The elder Flynn is a retired Army lieutenant general and former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
The elder Flynn was hired by a Turkish businessman in 2016 to investigate a Turkish cleric living in Pennsylvania that was accused by the Turkish government of orchestrating a coup in July 2016. He was not registered as a foreign lobbyist at the time but made changes to that this year to include last year’s work. His firm was paid $530,000 by the Justice Department last year for its work with the Turkish government.
The elder Flynn was fired from his position at the White House in February when it became clear that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence about his conversations with a Russian ambassador. The younger Flynn acted as the chief of staff at his father’s company, attending meetings with his father and working with prospective clients.
Others that have been investigated include Flynn’ father and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Others seen as potential targets by special counsel Robert Mueller include Carter Page, a Trump campaign ally, the President’s son Donald Trump Jr., and the President’s son-in-law and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner.
It is anticipated that Trump Jr. will be called before the Senate Judiciary committee in the next few months. All those accused have denied any involvement with Russia during the campaign.
Legal experts believe Mueller is trying to find someone that can tell him about any possible Trump campaign connections with Russia. By putting criminal liability on the younger Flynn, his father may feel compelled to hand over information. As former federal prosecutor Peter Smith explained, “Any time a family member is identified as a subject that does increase pressure. In the typical parent-child relationship, the last thing any parent would want is for their child to get in trouble for something they initiated.”
The younger Flynn has an undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and an associate’s degree in golf course management. He was a controversial figure during the election for his inflammatory comments on Twitter. He supported the “pizzagate” scandal and other conspiracy theories.
Do you think the Russia investigation is almost like a modern day witch hunt? Tell us in the comments below.
To learn more about the pizzagate conspiracy theory and others like it, read these articles:
- Four Year Prison Sentence for ‘Pizzagate’ Shooter
- Lawsuit Claims Fox News and White House Supported Fake Seth Rich Story
- Rush Limbaugh Claims Conspiracy by Obama in Forecasting of Isaac
Photo: twitter.com