Flynn Resigns Amid Controversy Over Contacts With Russian Ambassador

AP: Flynn Resigns After Giving “‘Incomplete Information’ About His Calls With Russia’s Ambassador” To Pence And Administration Officials. President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, resigned on February 13, the Associated Press (AP) reported, after giving “Vice President Mike Pence and others ‘incomplete information’ about his calls with Russia's ambassador to the U.S.” The AP reported that while Flynn initially said he “had not discussed sanctions with the Russian envoy,” he “later conceded the issue may have come up.” From the February 14 report:

National security adviser Michael Flynn has resigned following reports he misled Vice President Mike Pence about contacts with a Russian diplomat, up-ending President Donald Trump's White House team less than a month after his inauguration.

In a resignation letter, Flynn said he gave Vice President Mike Pence and others “incomplete information” about his calls with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. The vice president, apparently relying on information from Flynn, initially said the national security adviser had not discussed sanctions with the Russian envoy, though Flynn later conceded the issue may have come up.

Such conversations would breach diplomatic protocol and possibly violate the Logan Act, a law aimed at keeping private citizens from conducting U.S. diplomacy. The Justice Department also had warned the White House late last month that Flynn could be in a compromised position because of contradictions between his public depictions of the calls and what intelligence officials knew to be true based on routine recordings of communications with foreign officials who are in the U.S. [The Associated Press, 2/14/17]

Trump’s Loyalist Media Outlets And Figures Rush To Paint Flynn As The Victim

Gateway Pundit: Flynn Was “The Subject Of A Concerted Attack Over His Contacts With Russia.” The Gateway Pundit claimed that Flynn was “the subject of a concerted attack over his contacts with Russia.” From the February 13 Gateway Pundit report:

Gen. Mike Flynn (Ret.) resigned Monday night as President Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser, according to numerous reports. Flynn has been the subject of a concerted attack over his contacts with Russia and whether he was truthful in explaining those contacts to Vice President Mike Pence. [The Gateway Pundit, 2/13/17]

Mike Cernovich: “The Fake News Media Had Been Going After Flynn For Months.” White nationalist author Mike Cernovich asserted that the “fake news media landed a tactical nuke on America” with Flynn’s resignation, adding, “The fake news media had been going after Flynn for months.” From the February 13 Danger & Play post:

Tonight the fake news media landed a tactical nuke on America. The line has been broken, and the media now knows Trump is far more sensitive to bad press than he seemed to be during the campaign.

Few understand the significance of tonight’s events, as they don’t understand the war being fought. The war isn’t Republicans v. Democrats, as they are two puppets of the same master. The war had always been against the media.

[...]

The fake news media had been going after Flynn for months, and for nonsense. [Danger & Play, 2/13/17]

Daily Stormer: “Flynn Is One Of Our Best Guys. And He Did Nothing Wrong.” The white nationalist blog Daily Stormer asserted that “Flynn is one of our best guys,” adding that “he did nothing wrong.” From the February 14 post:

This is dumb.

Team Trump shouldn’t give these people an inch.

Flynn is one of our best guys.

And he did nothing wrong. [The Daily Stormer, 2/14/17]

Infowars: Flynn's Resignation Is “The Latest Manifestation Of The Military Industrial Complex's Effort To Undermine, Delegitimize And Sabotage The Trump Administration.” Infowars' editor-at-large Paul Joseph Watson claimed that Flynn's resignation “represents the latest manifestation of the military industrial complex’s effort to undermine, delegitimize and sabotage the Trump administration in concert with the Democratic and Republican establishment along with the mainstream media.” Watson added that Flynn's conversations with the Russian ambassador were “merely the excuse that establishment neo-cons and neo-libs from both parties were desperately searching for,” because, “they wanted him gone from the very beginning.” From the February 14 post:

The resignation of General Flynn is part of an ongoing effort by the military-industrial complex to sabotage President Trump and re-assert control over foreign policy.

[...]

In reality, Flynn’s conversation with Kislyak was merely the excuse that establishment neo-cons and neo-libs from both parties were desperately searching for. They wanted him gone from the very beginning. This was a deep state coup.

[...]

The real reason for Flynn being forced out is that he represented a direct threat to the military industrial complex that was swept aside by Trump’s victory.

[...]

General Flynn was the number one target for deep state fifth columnists. His resignation represents the latest manifestation of the military industrial complex’s effort to undermine, delegitimize and sabotage the Trump administration in concert with the Democratic and Republican establishment along with the mainstream media. [Infowars, 2/14/17]

Breitbart’s John Hayward: “The Excitement In The Press” Over Flynn’s Resignation “Is Palpable.” As outlets began to report on Flynn’s resignation, Breitbart’s John Hayward reported, “The excitement in the press over the chance of a Trump administration sacking is palpable,” noting that leakers in the White House “could be trying to shape coverage of Flynn to create a self-fulfilling prophecy of doom.” From the February 13 Breitbart article:

Media coverage of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn shows that the press believes he is done for and it is only a matter of time until President Donald Trump fires him or he resigns. The excitement in the press over the chance of a Trump administration sacking is palpable.

[...]

The teeming hive of leakers infesting the White House could be trying to shape coverage of Flynn to create a self-fulfilling prophecy of doom — or, conversely, the sources who think he isn’t on the chopping block could be wrong. [Breitbart, 2/13/17]

Flynn’s Communications With Russia’s Ambassador Might Run Counter To Logan Act

Vox: Flynn’s Conversations “Could Be A Violation Of An Obscure Federal Law.” Vox reported that Flynn’s conversation with the Russian ambassador “could be a violation of an obscure federal law, the Logan Act, which prohibits people outside the executive branch from making foreign policy on behalf of the US administration.” While Vox pointed out that “No one has ever been prosecuted under the Logan Act,” it also noted that “resigning from his White House post won’t shield Flynn from potential future criminal prosecution” regarding an FBI probe into his “interactions with Kislyak.” From the February 14 article:

Flynn had long denied discussing sanctions in his call with [Russian diplomat Sergey] Kislyak, but US officials had told the Washington Post and New York Times that Flynn explicitly talked about the sanctions and hinted that Trump might be willing to lift them. That kind of conversation could be a violation of an obscure federal law, the Logan Act, which prohibits people outside the executive branch from making foreign policy on behalf of the US administration.

No one has ever been prosecuted under the Logan Act, but Flynn is facing a second and potentially far more dangerous investigation. The FBI is actively probing Flynn’s interactions with Kislyak, and resigning from his White House post won’t shield Flynn from potential future criminal prosecution. [Vox, 2/14/17]