REVEALED: Mike Flynn sent messages to GOP congressman urging him to ‘keep the pressure on’ while he was cooperating with Mueller probe
- CNN obtained the Twitter direct messages that Flynn sent Rep. Matt Gaetz
- In one Flynn seemed to praise Gaetz’s public criticism of Robert Mueller
- In another, Flynn sent a flag GIF to celebrate confirmation of AG Bill Barr
- Gaetz acknowledged receiving messages but said he did not respond
- CNN claims the messages ‘raise fresh questions’ but they do not appear illegal
- Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to investigators but has not yet been sentenced
Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s messages to a Republican congressman who criticized special counsel Robert Mueller have been revealed.
The enthusiastic Twitter direct messages that Flynn sent to Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida in April 2018 and February of this year were obtained by CNN and published on Friday.
Although there does not appear to be anything illegal about the messages, they could cause problems for Flynn at sentencing if a judge finds they suggest he wasn’t contrite after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI.
On April 3, 2018, Flynn wrote to Gaetz: ‘You stay on top of what you’re doing. Your leadership is so vital for our country now. Keep the pressure on.’
Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn (above) sent Twitter DMs to a GOP congressman, appearing to praise his criticism of Mueller
Rep Matt Gaetz (above) has been an outspoken critic of Robert Mueller’s probe
Earlier on the same day, Gaetz had appeared on Fox Business Network to criticize Mueller’s investigation.
“With no evidence of collusion, with no evidence of any crime whatsoever, they unleashed Bob Mueller to go investigate things that happened before Donald Trump was even contemplating running for president,” Gaetz said in the appearance.
Mueller’s report, which he submitted to the attorney general in March, did not in fact find evidence of criminal collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Flynn, however, pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to the FBI, specifically to falsely denying that he had asked the Russian ambassador in a phone call to refrain from escalating tensions in response to U.S. sanctions.
At the time of his message to Gaetz, he was cooperating with Mueller’s probe.
Flynn sent a second message to Gaetz on the day that William Barr was confirmed as attorney general.
The message consisted of GIFs of an American flag and a bald eagle. There was no text in the messages.
Mueller (above) found no evidence of a Trump conspiracy to collude with Russia
Gaetz confirmed to CNN that he had received the messages, and said that he did not respond to them.
Flynn has yet to be sentenced, and a sentencing date has not yet been set in his case after he asked for a postponement while he cooperates on other federal matters.
The former top aide to President Donald Trump was back in the news this week after it emerged that he told Mueller’s office that people connected to the Trump administration and Congress sought to influence his cooperation with the Russia investigation.
He also provided a voicemail recording of one such communication, prosecutors said in a court filing made public Thursday.
Prosecutors revealed details about Flynn’s communications in a court filing aimed at showing the extent of his cooperation with Mueller’s investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Prosecutors did not identify the people with whom Flynn was in touch nor did they describe the exact conversations.