NEW: Trump pressed Tillerson to pressure DOJ to drop a case against Reza Zarrab, a client of Giuliani's who Mike Flynn agreed to spring from prison as part of his $15M 'kidnap Gulen for Turkey' deal, and who ran his business out of Trump Towers Istanbul.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Other participants in the Oval meeting were shocked by Trump's request. Tillerson refused, arguing it would constitute interference in an ongoing investigation and repeated his objections to John Kelly, emphasizing that such a request was illegal.
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In 2016, Erdogan asked VP Biden to drop Reza Zarrab's case and fire US Atty @PreetBharara. Biden refused
"Zarrab's case is toxic to Erdogan. He began cultivating Trump's team before the election. After Flynn resigned, they began working with Giuliani."
"Zarrab's case is toxic to Erdogan. He began cultivating Trump's team before the election. After Flynn resigned, they began working with Giuliani."
@PreetBharara Trump wanted DOJ drop the case against Reza Zarrab, a Turkish mobster charged in a billion-dollar scheme to violate US sanctions on Iran, whom Mike Flynn plotted with Turkey have "released" from prison, and who ran his business out of Trump Towers Istanbul.
@PreetBharara As he was with Ukraine, Rudy Giuliani was so steeped in events in Turkey––with Trump's approval––that State Dept officials grew increasingly alarmed. Earlier in 2017, he traveled to Turkey and met with Erdogan to seek a resolution in Zarrab’s case.
#Maddow
#Maddow
