President Trump vs. Robert Mueller

The FBI in late December reviewed intercepts of communications between the Russian ambassador to the United States and retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn — national security adviser to then-President-elect Trump — but has not found any evidence of wrongdoing or illicit ties to the Russian government, U.S. officials said.

Trump Won’t Implement Russia Sanctions—and He Won’t Tell Us Why
Congress is close to powerless in compelling the Trump administration to implement sanctions that it already forced him to sign into law.

State Department Scraps Sanctions Office
The Trump administration was three weeks late on a Russia sanctions deadline. But it’s killed the office that coordinates them.

1. Vice President Pence
2. House Speaker Paul Ryan
3. President pro tempore of the Senate Orrin Hatch
4. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson

White House claims Obama admin approved Flynn calls with Russian ambassador

Okay, James Clapper seems pretty clear that the Obama White House did not okay Flynn's shenanigans. *video*

The Associated Press‏Verified account
@AP


BREAKING: AP sources: Ex-deputy national security adviser KT McFarland is Trump transition official referenced in court documents who discussed US sanctions, response to Russia with Flynn.

Former Deputy National Security Adviser KT McFarland is an unnamed senior official referred to in the court papers filed in the Michael Flynn case.

She was involved in a discussion with Flynn about what he would say to Russian government officials in response to U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia last year.

That’s according to two former officials on President Donald Trump’s transition team. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to public discuss the matter.

McFarland is identified in court papers filed Friday as a “senior transition” official. Papers filed by special counsel Robert Mueller show Flynn contacted McFarland on Dec. 29, 2016, to discuss what, if anything, he would communicate to the Russians about the sanctions. Flynn admitted Friday to lying to the FBI about the contents of that conversation.

McFarland is awaiting Senate confirmation as ambassador to Singapore.

In 2013, McFarland wrote that Vladimir Putin deserved a Nobel Peace Prize for his actions during the Syrian Civil War.[38] In 2014, following the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, she tweeted, "Putin seizes countries, Obama threatens maybe to kick Russia out of the G-8 club. Bet Putin's sorry now! Winners write history, not whiners."[39] She said the U.S. might be able to find "common ground" with Putin.[9]

On February 14, 2017, Flynn announced his resignation after he became embroiled in controversy regarding discussions he had with Russian officials before his appointment.[45] A report quoted McFarland as intending to stay on, at the request of President Trump.[46] Further reports indicated that a requirement for any replacement in the position was that McFarland be kept on as that person's number two, and that this requirement was a disincentive in terms of how some potential picks viewed the offer.[47] H. R. McMaster was eventually named as Flynn's replacement.[48]

Clarification: During a live Special Report, ABC News reported that a confidant of Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn said Flynn was prepared to testify that then-candidate Donald Trump instructed him to contact Russian officials during the campaign. That source later clarified that during the campaign, Trump assigned Flynn and a small circle of other senior advisers to find ways to repair relations with Russia and other hot spots. It was shortly after the election, that President-elect Trump directed Flynn to contact Russian officials on topics that included working jointly against ISIS.