Updates | The Week of May 8, 2017
Sarah Mahmood // 5/10/17 //
Federal prosecutors issued grand jury subpoenas seeking records from associates of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn (CNN).
- Alex Whiting analyzed the significance of issuing grand jury subpoenas (Just Security).
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (“SSCI”) subpoenaed documents from Flynn after he refused to comply with requests two weeks ago (NPR).
- SSCI Chairman Richard Burr’s press release regarding the subpoena is here.
- Philip Bobbitt suggests that President Trump may have instructed Flynn to speak with the Russian ambassador about sanctions and to lie about their discussion (Lawfare).
The White House failed to limit Michael Flynn’s security clearance even when warned of Russian blackmail risks, reports Ben Jacobs (The Guardian).
- Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates testified that she warned the White House that Michael Flynn could be blackmailed by Russia (NYT, WaPo, The Guardian).
- President Obama also personally warned President-elect Trump against hiring Flynn last fall (NYT, WaPo, WSJ).
- Testimony by Yates does not explain the Trump Administration’s delay in firing Flynn, notes David Graham (The Atlantic).
- Mattathias Schwartz writes that Yates’ testimony shows the White House lied about Flynn (The Intercept).
President Trump met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak (NYT).
- Intelligence officials criticized special access given to a Russian photographer during the visit (WaPo).
- U.S. journalists were barred from the meeting (Politico).
President Trump is unconcerned about potential investigations into his business dealings with Russia, according to Press Secretary Sean Spicer (WSJ).
The conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch has filed a FOIA request for Sally Yates’ emails from her time as Acting Attorney General (Politico).
The Senate has requested records of communication with Russians from a number of associates of President Trump (NYT, The Atlantic, The Hill).
- Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday (WSJ, Politico).