First on CNN: Russian officials bragged they could use Flynn to influence Trump, sources say
Washington (CNN)Russian
officials bragged in conversations during the presidential campaign
that they had cultivated a strong relationship with former Trump adviser
retired Gen. Michael Flynn and believed they could use him to influence
Donald Trump and his team, sources told CNN.
The
conversations deeply concerned US intelligence officials, some of whom
acted on their own to limit how much sensitive information they shared
with Flynn, who was tapped to become Trump's national security adviser,
current and former governments officials said.
"This
was a five-alarm fire from early on," one former Obama administration
official said, "the way the Russians were talking about him." Another
former administration official said Flynn was viewed as a potential
national security problem.
The
conversations picked up by US intelligence officials indicated the
Russians regarded Flynn as an ally, sources said. That relationship
developed throughout 2016, months before Flynn was caught on an
intercepted call in December speaking with Russia's ambassador in
Washington, Sergey Kislyak. That call, and Flynn's changing story about
it, ultimately led to his firing as Trump's first national security
adviser.
Officials cautioned, however, that the Russians might have exaggerated their sway with Trump's team during those conversations.
Flynn's lawyer declined to comment.
"We
are confident that when these inquiries are complete there will be no
evidence to support any collusion between the campaign and Russia," a
White House official said in a statement. "... This matter is not going
to distract the President or this administration from its work to bring
back jobs and keep America safe."
Flynn
has emerged as a central figure -- and Trump's biggest liability -- in
the intensifying investigations into possible collusion between the
Trump campaign and the Russians. His financial ties to Turkish
government interests, which paid him $530,000 in a lobbying deal that he
failed to disclose during the campaign, are also under scrutiny by
federal investigators.
One major
concern for Obama administration officials was the subject of
conversations between Flynn and Kislyak that took place shortly after
President Barack Obama slapped new sanctions on Russia for meddling in
the election. Sources tell CNN that Flynn told Kislyak that the Trump
administration would look favorably on a decision by Russia to hold off
on retaliating with its own sanctions. The next day, Putin said he
wouldn't retaliate.
Sources
say Flynn also told Kislyak that the incoming Trump administration
would revisit US sanctions on Russia once in office. The US has applied
sanctions on Russia since 2014 for its actions in Ukraine.
Flynn's
calls with Kislyak in December have received the most attention, but
his relationship with the Russian ambassador goes back four years.
He
first met Kislyak in June 2013 during an official trip to Russia,
according to The Washington Post. He led the Defense Intelligence Agency
at the time and met his counterparts at the Russian military
intelligence agency known as the GRU.
In
December 2015, Flynn attended a gala honoring the Kremlin-run TV
network RT. Documents released last month revealed that Flynn was paid
$45,000 to attend the event, where he sat at the same table as Russian
President Vladimir Putin.
Officials noticed an uptick in communication between Flynn and Kislyak shortly after Flynn's trip to Moscow in December 2015.
Trump
angrily denied any collusion with Russia this week and denounced the
newest investigation -- now in the hands of special counsel Robert S.
Mueller III -- as "a witch hunt."
And
he has remained steadfast in his loyalty to Flynn, even as the scrutiny
surrounding his fired aide continues to weigh down his presidency.
Trump urged then-FBI Director James Comey in February to drop the
bureau's investigation into Flynn and "let this go," according to a memo
Comey wrote at the time. The conversation, first reported by The New
York Times earlier this week, has opened the President up to charges
from critics of obstruction of justice.
Trump's
obvious bond with Flynn, like his relationship with Attorney General
Jeff Sessions and other top advisers, appears rooted in the fact that
they supported his then-longshot presidential campaign last year at a
time when most Republicans were ostracizing him.
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