Turkish lobbyist Michael Flynn kept his FBI interview concealed from White House, Trump

January 24, 2018 By administrator

President Donald Trump was unaware that Flynn, then his national security adviser, had spoken with the FBI until two days after the Jan. 24, 2017, interview took place, according to two people familiar with the matter. The first senior official to learn about Flynn’s interview with the FBI was White House counsel Don McGahn, who was told about it by then-acting attorney general Sally Yates.

Two people said Flynn did not include his own personal lawyer, speaking with federal agents alone. “No one knew that any of this was happening,” said another senior White House official. That meeting, a year ago today, would set off an unparalleled sequence of events that has involved the cooperation of many of the president’s top law and intelligence officials — including CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Yates — with the special counsel’s investigation.

Former National Security Adviser on Turkey’s Payroll Pleads Guilty for Lying to Federal Officials

December 1, 2017 By administrator

former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn

Armenian Assembly Reiterates Call for Public Congressional Hearings on Turkey’s Surreptitious Influence on America’s Democratic Institutions.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty for making “materially false, fictitious and fraudulent statements” to federal officials, reports the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly). Department of Justice Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted Flynn for lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) about conversations with the Russian Ambassador during the presidential transition, as well as false statements about his involvement with the Republic of Turkey.

The Statement of the Offense in the United States of America v. Michael T. Flynn identifies Turkey under the category “Other False Statements Regarding Flynn’s Contacts with Foreign Governments.” The statement notes multiple documents pertaining to a project performed by him and his company, the Flynn Intel Group, Inc., “for the principal benefit of the Republic of Turkey (‘Turkey Project’).” According to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), Flynn made “materially false statements and omissions” regarding his lobbying activities on behalf of the Republic of Turkey and the Erdogan government.

Click here for the Department of Justice’s full Statement of the Offense.

“The newest revelations about Flynn are just the tip of the iceberg. While prosecutors have uncovered some vital information, there is much more yet to come to light, especially regarding Turkey’s continued use of illegal funds to influence national security at the highest levels. This practice has been ongoing and needs to be halted,” Assembly Co-Chairs Anthony Barsamian and Van Krikorian said. “As we have previously urged, there needs to be thorough public Congressional hearings to fully expose Turkey’s attempts to influence the United States Government, which is a direct attack on our democratic values,” they added.

Reports indicated that Flynn would be paid $15 million to secretly carry out Turkey’s bidding. Flynn was already paid $530,000 last year for work the Justice Department says benefited the government of Turkey, and did not register as a foreign agent at the time.

On October 18, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD), alongside 17 Members of Congress, sent a letter to Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-SC) requesting a subpoena on the White House to produce all documents related to Flynn’s “egregious conflicts of interest” in business dealings with foreign governments, which includes his unreported lobbying contract as a foreign agent on behalf of the Turkish government in 2016.

The letter stated: “We believe this paper trail must be pursued to answer the gravest question of all: Did Gen. Flynn seek to change the course of our country’s national security to benefit the same private interests he previously promoted, whether by advising President Trump, interacting with foreign officials, or influencing other members of the Trump administration?”

The Assembly has repeatedly highlighted Turkey’s attempts to gain surreptitious influence over U.S. officials to the detriment of U.S. national security, and has called for investigations therein. The Assembly has also urged Representatives who joined the Turkish and Azeri Caucuses to withdraw their membership. Some already have.

“Members ought not to associate themselves with such corrupt and authoritarian regimes. Given Turkey’s treatment of Christians, dangerously rogue behavior, denial of the Armenian Genocide and support for Azerbaijan’s ISIS-style beheadings and other attacks, it is well past time for Members of Congress to withdraw their membership from the Turkish and Azeri Congressional Caucuses,” reiterated the Assembly Co-Chairs.

Source: Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

Turkey wasting no time Using #Trump adviser Michael Flynn who linked to Turkish lobbying met Turkish FM in Washington.

January 19, 2017 By administrator

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Jan. 18 that he met with incoming U.S. National Security Advisor, retired Gen. Michael Flynn, and other officials in Washington.

Çavuşoğlu tweeted he had a “working breakfast” with Flynn but it was not immediately clear who else was in attendance.

He said he hopes relations between Ankara and Washington would gain momentum with the new U.S. administration.

Expected to be on Çavuşoğlu’s agenda while in Washington is the extradition of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, whom the Turkish government accuses of being the mastermind behind a group of people mainly from the Turkish military that sought to overthrow the government on July 15, 2016 in an attempted coup.

Ankara has said Gülen’s network was behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the government through its infiltration in Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

Flynn on Nov. 8, 2016, the day of the U.S. presidential election, wrote in a piece for the Hill newspaper that the U.S. should not provide a safe haven for Gülen.

“The forces of radical Islam derive their ideology from radical clerics like Gülen, who is running a scam. We should not provide him safe haven,” Flynn wrote.

Trump adviser linked to Turkish lobbying

A company tied to Erdogan’s government hired retired general Michael Flynn’s lobbying firm.

Donald Trump wants to forbid his officials from lobbying for foreign governments, but one of his top national security advisers is being paid by a close ally of Turkey’s president.

Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, a vice chair of the Trump transition who is in the running for a top national security post in the new administration, runs a consulting firm that is lobbying for Turkish interests, an associate told POLITICO. Asked if Flynn’s firm was hired because of the general’s closeness to Trump, the associate, Robert Kelley, said, “I hope so.”

Kelley told POLITICO that the client, a Dutch consulting firm called Inovo BV, was founded by Kamil Ekim Alptekin. Alptekin is chairman of the Turkish-American Business Council, known as TAIK, an arm of the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey, whose members are chosen by the country’s general assembly and economic minister. In that role, Alptekin was involved in organizing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Washington earlier this year.

The Turkish government’s connection to Flynn’s client was first reported by the Daily Caller.

A lobbying registration posted Sept. 30 said that Kelley, a former chief counsel to the House National Security Subcommittee, would lobby on bills funding the departments of State and Defense.

“We’re going to keep them informed of U.S. foreign and domestic policy,” Kelley said in a phone interview. “They want to keep posted on what we all want to be informed of: the present situation, the transition between President Obama and President-Elect Trump.”

Kelley said he didn’t know if the client presented a conflict of interest. A spokesman for Flynn said he was too busy to answer questions. The Trump transition didn’t answer a request for comment.

Source:http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/donald-trump-turkey-lobbying-231354