House Intelligence Committee Democrats are sending corporate information to special counsel Robert Mueller that they say shows fired national security advisor Mike Flynn ‘violated federal law.’
Flynn failed to initially disclose foreign contacts related to a 2015 trip to the Middle East to pursue a deal between financed by the Saudi government and backed by a Russian entity, the lawmakers say, citing letters they got from companies who were part of the deal.
The deal was to build nuclear power plants in the Middle East by partnering with Russia’s nuclear power agency, and including meetings with Middle East officials to discuss it.
‘It appears that General Flynn violated federal law by omitting this trip and these foreign contacts from his security clearance renewal application in 2016 and concealing them from security clearance investigators who interviewed him as part of the background check process,’ wrote Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland Eliot Engel.
The Democratic lawmakers gathered information about ex National Security Advisor Mike Flynn’s 2015 trip to the MIddle East
The lawmakers describe the deal as a ‘joint U.S.-Russian, Saudi-financed program to build nuclear reactors in the Arab world.’
Flynn’s amended disclosure to renew his security clearance revealed that he did consulting work as an advisor for X-Co Dynamics Inc./Iron Bridge Group.
The lawmakers state in the letter to the companies they contacted continued to get information from Flynn about the project from inside the White House.
‘Your responses raise significant questions about whether General Flynn continued to communicate with you and others about this project after the presidential election, after Donald Trump was sworn in as president, and after General Flynn assumed the post of National Security Advisor—without disclosing his foreign travel or contacts,’ according to Cummings and Engel.
“The American people deserve to know whether General Flynn was secretly promoting the private interests of these businesses while he was a campaign advisor, a transition official, or President Trump’s National Security Advisor,’ they add.
Reps. Elijah Cummings and Eliot Engel forwarded information about Flynn to special counsel Robert Mueller
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Robert Mueller is probing Russian election interference and possible obstruction of justice
‘Since these violations carry criminal penalties of up to five years in prison, we are providing your responses to Special Counsel Robert Mueller,’ wrote the lawmakers, who then released the letter.
The letter went to executives from X-Co Dynamics, ACU Strategic Partners, IronBridgeGroup Inc., IP3, and Flynn’s consulting firm, Flynn Intel Group.
A Statement from Thomas Cochran of ACU confirmed that Flynn traveled to Egypt and Israel in 2015. It stated that Russia had expressed interest in building four reactors in Egypt and Jordan. It states that emails show Flynn was in contact with a top Jordanian official about the project.
Alex Copson, managing director for ACU Strategic Partners, wrote that Flynn got a check for $25,000 to compensate him for ‘loss of income and business opportunities’ for the trip, but Flynn apparently didn’t cash it,’ according to the letter.