Thread by @EpochTimes

News Analysis🔎The belief that Lt. @GenFlynn was set up by the @FBI has been backed up by a string of evidence in documents released by the #DOJ. (Thread👇) theepochtimes.com/flynn-was-set-…

#Flynn pleaded guilty in 2017 to one count of lying to the @FBI.

On May 7, however, the #DOJ dropped the case against him, saying that when #FBI interviewed #GeneralFlynn on Jan. 24, 2017, the investigation into him was “no longer justifiably predicated.” theepochtimes.com/doj-drops-case…

—The @FBI opened a case on #Flynn on Aug. 16, 2016. courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco…

The stated reason was that @GenFlynn had “ties” to some entities “affiliated” with #Russia, and visited Russia the year before.

—After 4 months of investigating, the @FBI couldn’t find any “derogatory” information on #Flynn.

On Jan. 4, 2017, William Barnett, an agent managing the Flynn case, drafted a document to close the case, saying there were no more leads to follow. courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco…

That afternoon, then-head of @FBI counterintelligence operations, #PeterStrzok, reached out to #Flynn case manager, urging him to keep the case open (the documents indicate the case manager was likely Barnett). theepochtimes.com/strzok-scrambl…

Then-@FBI Director @Comey later said in a meeting with lawmakers that he authorized the closing of the #Flynn case but that it was kept open because the #FBI learned about #GeneralFlynn’s calls with then-Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco…

#Flynn’s calls coincided with new #Sanctions imposed on #Russia by President @BarackObama in late December 2016.

@GenFlynn’s lawyers were never given the #Transcripts of the calls, but the #DOJ said he requested from Kislyak “that Russia avoid ‘escalating’ tensions in response…

…to” the #Sanctions. #Russia responded by holding off on its retaliation for several months.

The morning of Jan. 4, 2017, #LisaPage, special counsel to #AndrewMcCabe and #Strzok’s mistress, sent an email to then-@FBI General Counsel #JamesBaker. courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco…

“Code section at question,” the subject read, with “18 USC 953” in the body.

The number refers to the #LoganAct, a 1799 law that prohibits Americans from conducting diplomacy on their own with countries that the US has a dispute with.

Less than 10 minutes later, #Strzok emailed Page the text of the statute—writing “because I am awesome”—and attached a 2015 document about #LoganAct from the Congressional Research Service.

In the afternoon, #Strzok texted another @FBI staffer about the need to keep the #Flynn case open. “We need to decide what to do with him w/r/t [with regards to] the [redacted],” he wrote.

The “7th floor [was] involved,” he texted, referring to the #FBI top leadership.

But there seemed to be no appetite at the #DOJ to pursue a #LoganAct violation.

No one has ever been convicted for breaking the law and only two people were ever charged, the last one in 1852.

The week after the scramble to keep the #Flynn probe open was one of the most consequential in US history, with national repercussions rippling out for years to come.

The @FBI, and @Comey in particular, played a central role.

On Jan. 6, 2017, Trump was briefed by #JamesClapper as well as the heads of the @FBI, @NSAGov, and @CIA on their “assessment” that #Russia meddled in the election.

They also claimed the #Kremlin favored Trump in their influence campaign.

A #Declassified version of the report was released the same day, “a virtually unheard-of, real-time revelation by the American intelligence agencies that undermined the legitimacy of the president who is about to direct them,” The @NYTimes reported.

As an annex to the assessment was attached a two-page summary of the #SteeleDossier, a collection of unsubstantiated claims about supposed Trump-#RussianCollusion written by former British spy #ChristopherSteele and paid for by the @DNC and the @HillaryClinton campaign.

As it seems, the @FBI was aware that information about the Trump-Comey briefing was in fact the hook @CNN would use.

“Just an FYI, and as expected, it seems CNN is close to running a story about the sensitive reporting,” #AndrewMcCabe wrote.

#CCN ran a story saying (incorrectly) that Trump was presented with a “two-page synopsis” of the #SteeleDossier. Shortly after, @BuzzFeedNews released a version of the dossier itself.

Within hours, the #RussianCollusion narrative was imprinted on much of the nation’s psyche.

Under the enormous pressure to distance themselves from anything #Russia-related, several Trump team members, questioned #Flynn about the calls. @GenFlynn said he didn’t talk about #Sanctions and that’s what the team told the media.

With this denial, the @FBI effectively had @GenFlynn trapped. The officials knew that Pence told a lie on national television and that #Flynn was responsible.

“For some reason [Flynn] hasn’t been candid with the Vice President about this,” @Comey said.

#Comey blocked the idea of informing the @WhiteHouse of #Flynn's lie. The Kislyak #Transcripts were the @FBI’s information and he had the last word on who gets it, Yates said.

The officials didn’t plan at all to confront #Flynn about what he told Pence. They instead went to great lengths to cast the interview as a friendly chat between fellow government officials.

They were not to confront Flynn about any discrepancies or show him the transcripts.

This approach didn’t sit well with Bill Priestap, then-@FBI head of counterintelligence.

“What’s our goal? Truth/Admission or to—get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?” he wrote down in notes dated Jan. 24, 2017, arguing the team should “rethink” its approach.

“If we’re seen as playing games, [@WhiteHouse] will be furious. Protect our institution by not playing games,” he wrote.

His concerns were dismissed. What’s more, @Comey went forward with the interview without consulting or even informing the #DOJ.

When #McCabe called #Flynn on Jan. 24, 2017 to set up the interview, @GenFlynn readily agreed to have the agents over for a talk about the Kislyak calls. He noted that the @FBI probably already knew what was said anyway. courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco…

#McCabe said he told @GenFlynn he wanted the interview done “as quickly, quietly and discretely as possible.”

If #Flynn wanted anybody to sit in, such as one of the @WhiteHouse lawyers, the #DOJ would have to be involved.

“To affirmatively go ahead and say that you don’t need to have an attorney present really goes beyond the bounds of anything that most agents in the past would have considered an acceptable behavior,” said @MHRuskin, a 27-year @FBI veteran and @EpochTimes contributor.

About 2 hours later, #Strzok and Supervisory Special Agent Joe Pientka showed up at the @WhiteHouse for the interview.

@GenFlynn was “relaxed and jocular” with the agents, “unguarded” during the interview, and “clearly saw the FBI agents as allies,” #PeterStrzok said.

As part of the rather sprawling interview, @GenFlynn denied talking to Kislyak about #Sanctions.

The agents asked again: Did he ask for #Russia to not engage in “tit-for-tat?”

“Not really. I don’t remember. It wasn’t, ‘Don’t do anything.’” he said. courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco…

#Flynn said in a Jan. 29 declaration to court he still doesn’t remember talking to Kislyak about #Sanctions.

“I told the agents that tit-for-tat is a phrase I use, which suggests that the topic of sanctions could have been raised,” he said. documentcloud.org/documents/6885…

#DOJ prosecutors were skeptical that #Flynn just didn’t remember, according to Yates. They asked the @FBI if it wanted to interview #Flynn again—a common practice in cases where it seems the interviewee lacked candor.

But the @FBI not only didn’t want another interview, but Yates “recalled them being pretty emphatic about it,” the report from her interview said.

Despite previously insisting on the opposite, @Comey was suddenly all for informing the @WhiteHouse of @GenFlynn’s situation.

James @Comey “said it was a great idea” for Yates to talk to the @WhiteHouse counsel, “and agreed a ‘lawyer to lawyer’ talk made sense,” according to Yates.

Yates and McCord met with Don McGahn, then-WH counsel, on Jan. 26, 2017. They told them that #Flynn lied to Pence and that @FBI interviewed him in the @WhiteHouse 2 days prior.

McCord described McGahn as “shocked” by the news. Flynn was fired 2 weeks later.

/END/