Robert Reich: Sally Yates testimony points to 'Trump ordering Flynn' to call Russian ambassador

[DonViejo]

Today former acting attorney general Sally Yates told the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism that on Jan. 26 and 27 she warned White House counsel Don McGahn that Michael Flynn, then Trump’s national security adviser, had engaged in “problematic” conduct with the Russians. The Russians, she added, “also knew about what Gen. Flynn had done, and the Russians also knew that Gen. Flynn had misled the vice-president and others.” As a result, she went on, the Russians likely had information that created a situation “where the National Security Advisor could be blackmailed by the Russians.”
Note the sequence of events:

1. On December 29, Obama announces retaliation for Russian hacking of the U.S. elections.

2. That same day, Trump aide Michael Flynn phones Russian Ambassador Kislyak several times.

3. Subsequently, Flynn publicly lies about the call (and also lies about it to Vice President elect Pence).

4. U.S. intelligence agencies have heard Flynn's call, and know of Flynn's lies. They contact Yates, who's then the key Justice Department Official in charge, because they're concerned that Flynn could be blackmailed by the Russians.

5. On January 26 and January 27, Yates warns the White House about Flynn's lies.

6. Trump immediately fires Yates.

7. Two weeks later, Trump fires Flynn as his national security adviser (formally, Flynn resigns).

8. This morning, Trump is so determined to deflect attention from what Yates would say that he suggests she was the one who committed a crime – tweeting “Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how classified information got into the newspapers soon after she explained it to W.H. Counsel.” (Today, Yates and Clapper both testified that they did not know how the reports about Flynn made their way into the Post.)

The likeliest explanation for this sequence of events is Trump ordered Flynn to call Kislyak on December 29 in order to assure the Russians that Trump was behind them and grateful for their hacking, despite Obama's retaliation.

What do you think?

Sally Yates just publicly confirmed important facts about the Trump-Russia story
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2017/05/08/sally-yates-just-publicly-confirmed-important-facts-about-the-trump-russia-story/?tid=sm_tw&utm_term=.2dc97eef45cf

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https://www.facebook.com/RBReich/posts/1561440287201895

[panader0]

1. The part I don't get is that Flynn supposedly lied to Pence.

I think Pence is in this up to his eyeballs.

[Hortensis]

4. Flynn could lie to Pence, and Pence could know all about it

at the same time. And that is probably exactly what happened. If all Americans who read newspapers had good reason to believe it happened, what did a professional pol like Pence know from the inside?

Rump is hardly Pence's only source of power and information, of course. Pence and others backing him have an important interest in keeping him safe as Plan B. There must have been many meetings and musings about various maneuvers to keep him as close as possible to Rump, and controlling as much as possible, while navigating him through all the hazards of Russiagate. For that, being extremely well informed about what everyone else was up to would be critical.

[Kablooie]

7. Maybe he didn't lie to Pence. The lie is that he lied to Pence - to protect Pence.

This whole thing is so dirty and I'm sick of everyone pussy footing around all the blatant illegal and treasonous actions.

I know they can't come out and accuse someone without proof but my god, how much does it take?

[rockfordfile]

2. yes he did.

I think it's the other way around. It seems to me that Trump corrupted Mike Flynn with the Russians. Trump's been with the Russians deep for years.

[FakeNoose]

3. Of course Trump & Pence knew everything about Flynn

Flynn made calls to Putin at the direction of Cheeto 45.

Flynn didn't lie about anything to Pence, however Pence did lie to American people to throw shade on Flynn.
Trump fired Flynn in order to save Pence's ass, and then Trump gave the reason that Flynn lied to Pence. (which he didn't) They're all guilty, they're all lying. Who's going to break first and save his own ass?

They all make me sick.

[Goodheart]

5. So, the big remaining question is whether or not the FBI

knows the contents of (i.e. recorded) the phone calls to Kislyak.

Now, even if they heard Flynn say "my boss told me to tell you not to worry about sanctions" the White House could plead that he was a rogue acting without Trump's knowledge or authorization.

[dalton99a]

6. The Trump team also asked the Obama White House to give them the classified dossier on Kislyak

for no particular purpose, I'm sure