The inspector general of the Department of Defense is probing whether Flynn had 'failed to obtain required approval prior to receiving any emolument from a foreign government,' according to the April 11 letter to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Documents released by the IG reveal that when he left the Army, Flynn received a 'post-government employment' letter that advised him explicitly of the 'legal restrictions concerning foreign compensation and instructed to report any potential receipt of compensation in advance to the Department of the Army.'
Flynn had been the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, retiring in 2014.
Nevertheless, the DIA 'did not locate any records' of Flynn 'seeking permission or approval for the receipt of money from a foreign source.'
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee ranking member Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) slapped at the White House at a press conference where he released the documents, going after Press Secretary Sean Spicer for saying the White House had done what it could to comply with document requests.
'Come on, man,' he said. 'I honestly do not understand why the White House is covering up for Michael Flynn, after the president fired him for lying,' Cummings said. The White House declined a request to turn over documents from Flynn's security clearance application.
'It makes the American people think the White House has something to hide. There is obviously a paper trail that the White House does not want our Committee to follow,' Cummings said.
'There is not one shred of evidence that Gen. Flynn got permission to receive this foreign money or that he acknowledged receipt of it,' Cummings said.
'These guys are playing games. And when you see Mr. Spicer you can tell him I said that todya.'
Cummings noted that he and Chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz had made a bipartisan document request, and said he didn't think Chaffetz' departure for foot surgery would slow down further requests.
According to a statement from Cummings's office: 'The new DIA letter counters the suggestion by Flynn’s attorney on Tuesday that Flynn followed appropriate procedures for accepting foreign funds for his trip to Moscow in December 2015 when he dined with Russian President Vladimir Putin.'
If no other documents turn up, that would mean Flynn did not get advance permission to accept $45,000 from Kremlin-backed Russia Today for a 2015 appearance in Moscow where he was seated next to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to the DIA, the Army wrote that it 'had located no records pertaining to a possible violation of the Emoluments Clause' by Flynn.
The White House had distanced itself on Tuesday from allegations of illegal conduct against Flynn.
Senior members of Congress on the House Oversight Committee say classified military documents show Flynn did not ask permission for or inform the U.S. government about payments he received for appearances before Russian organizations in 2015 and for lobbying that helped Turkey's government.
Flynn's failure to obtain permission from military authorities for the payments raises concern whether the retired general violated a constitutional ban on foreign payments to retired military officers.
According to a statement from Cummings's office: 'The new DIA letter counters the suggestion by Flynn’s attorney on Tuesday that Flynn followed appropriate procedures for accepting foreign funds for his trip to Moscow in December 2015 when he dined with Russian President Vladimir Putin.'
If no other documents turn up, that would mean Flynn did not get advance permission to accept $45,000 from Kremlin-backed Russia Today for a 2015 appearance in Moscow where he was seated next to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump has said he fired Flynn because of misleading comments he made to the vice president about his discussions with the Russian ambassador during the transition.
Flynn is among the Trump associates being investigated by Congress and the FBI for possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Former acting attorney general Sally Yates is scheduled to appear at a congressional hearing next month on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Yates is to appear May 8 along with James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence.
The hearing before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee was announced Tuesday morning.
It will mark her first appearance on Capitol Hill since she was fired in late January after refusing to defend President Donald Trump's travel ban.
The hearings are part of an overlapping series of investigations being held by the House and Senate.
Republican leaders in the U.S. Congress refused Democrats' calls for a special prosecutor or select committee to investigate possible Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, including possible links between Trump's campaign and Moscow, saying investigations by congressional committees are sufficient.
0 comments:
Post a Comment