Well as it turns out. not only did the retired Lt. General Mike Flynn tell the republican President Donald Trump transition team all about his work with foreign governments, before the president’s inauguration date, but it just so happens that he and/ or others made at least 18 contacts with Russian officials. And yet, he still became the president’s national security adviser. It has become obvious that the Vice President Mike Pense who was in charge of the vetting process failed to follow protocol.
The rest of the story…
On 5/18/17, Ned Parker, Jonathan Landay and Warren Strobel of Reuters penned the following report, “Exclusive: Trump campaign had at least 18 undisclosed contacts with Russians: sources.”
Excerpts:
“The previously undisclosed interactions form part of the record now being reviewed by FBI and congressional investigators probing Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election and contacts between Trump’s campaign and Russia.”
“Six of the previously undisclosed contacts described to Reuters were phone calls between Sergei Kislyak, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, and Trump advisers, including Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser, three current and former officials said.”
Conversations between Flynn and Kislyak accelerated after the Nov. 8 vote as the two discussed establishing a back channel for communication between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that could bypass the U.S. national security bureaucracy, which both sides considered hostile to improved relations, four current U.S. officials said.”
“In January, the Trump White House initially denied any contacts with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign. The White House and advisers to the campaign have since confirmed four meetings between Kislyak and Trump advisers during that time.”
“The people who described the contacts to Reuters said they had seen no evidence of wrongdoing or collusion between the campaign and Russia in the communications reviewed so far. But the disclosure could increase the pressure on Trump and his aides to provide the FBI and Congress with a full account of interactions with Russian officials and others with links to the Kremlin during and immediately after the 2016 election.”
“
The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Flynn’s lawyer declined to comment. In Moscow, a Russian foreign ministry official declined to comment on the contacts and referred Reuters to the Trump administration.”
“The 18 calls and electronic messages took place between April and November 2016 as hackers engaged in what U.S. intelligence concluded in January was part of a Kremlin campaign to discredit the vote and influence the outcome of the election in favor of Trump over his Democratic challenger, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.”
“Michael Flynn and other advisers to Donald Trump’s campaign were in contact with Russian officials and others with Kremlin ties in at least 18 calls and emails during the last seven months of the 2016 presidential race, current and former U.S. officials familiar with the exchanges told Reuters.”“The previously undisclosed interactions form part of the record now being reviewed by FBI and congressional investigators probing Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election and contacts between Trump’s campaign and Russia.”
“Six of the previously undisclosed contacts described to Reuters were phone calls between Sergei Kislyak, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, and Trump advisers, including Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser, three current and former officials said.”
“Conversations between Flynn and Kislyak accelerated after the Nov. 8 vote as the two discussed establishing a back channel for communication between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that could bypass the U.S. national security bureaucracy, which both sides considered hostile to improved relations, four current U.S. officials said.”
“In January, the Trump White House initially denied any contacts with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign. The White House and advisers to the campaign have since confirmed four meetings between Kislyak and Trump advisers during that time.
“The people who described the contacts to Reuters said they had seen no evidence of wrongdoing or collusion between the campaign and Russia in the communications reviewed so far. But the disclosure could increase the pressure on Trump and his aides to provide the FBI and Congress with a full account of interactions with Russian officials and others with links to the Kremlin during and immediately after the 2016 election.”
“The 18 calls and electronic messages took place between April and November 2016 as hackers engaged in what U.S. intelligence concluded in January was part of a Kremlin campaign to discredit the vote and influence the outcome of the election in favor of Trump over his Democratic challenger, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.”
“The U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday it had appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate alleged Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential campaign and possible collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia. Mueller will now take charge of the FBI investigation that began last July. Trump and his aides have repeatedly denied any collusion with Russia.”
“In addition to the six phone calls involving Kislyak, the communications described to Reuters involved another 12 calls, emails or text messages between Russian officials or people considered to be close to Putin and Trump campaign advisers.”
“One of those contacts was by Viktor Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian oligarch and politician, according to one person with detailed knowledge of the exchange and two others familiar with the issue.”
“It was not clear with whom Medvedchuk was in contact within the Trump campaign but the themes included U.S.-Russia cooperation, the sources said. Putin is godfather to Medvedchuk’s daughter.”
Kislyak (L)”Medvedchuk denied having any contact with anyone in the Trump campaign.”
“I am not acquainted with any of Donald Trump’s close associates, therefore no such conversation could have taken place,” he said in an email to Reuters.”
“In the conversations during the campaign, Russian officials emphasized a pragmatic, business-style approach and stressed to Trump associates that they could make deals by focusing on common economic and other interests and leaving contentious issues aside, the sources said.”
Gronda Morin 
Dear mz. Gronda,
While I find all of the contacts troubling, if find the following worse than just troubling!
“”“Conversations between Flynn and Kislyak accelerated after the Nov. 8 vote as the two discussed establishing a back channel for communication between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that could bypass the U.S. national security bureaucracy””
Silly me, but I simply can not think of any valid reason that an elected official of this nation should have the ability (or desire) to bypass our own checks and balance procedures to consort with a nation that for many years has demonstrated hostile intentions toward this nation! This IMO would border very closely on Treason…
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Dear Crustyolemothman,
You are right! It is a big deal that they were making arrangements for back door contacts. This is probably why DDT would prefer that the investigation into General Flynn’s activities to be discontinued.But alas, his attempts towards this end were not successful.
Ciao, Gronda
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Dear Mz. Gronda,
From tRumps speech last evening while discussing the appointment of a Special Counsel to investigate the contacts of he or his campaign staff, or members of his administration!
“Asked about possible collusion with Russia, Trump denies links between his campaign and Moscow – but said, “I can only speak for myself.”
Please note, if you have studied how tRump speaks in circles you will quickly realize he has just thrown a lot of his administration members under a fleet of busses! All that in an effort to save his own skin!!! This man has absolutely no honor! Can you imagine the way his staff feels about now after being forced to make a loyalty pledge to him only to find it was a one way pledge!
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-denies-pressing-fbi-to-drop-michael-flynn-investigation/ar-BBBgETs?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=U453DHP#image=1
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Dear Crustyolemothman,
He would throw his own mother under the bus to save his own hide. He lies like he breathes. Anyone who works for him would have to accept the fact that it is each person for themselves.
There are those who work for him who are riding on his coattails(Bannon); those who need the big paycheck (KellyAnn Conway), and those who are trying to protect this country (McMaster).Those in the last group deserve combat pay..
Ciao, Gronda
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As much as I dislike Pence I had been thinking he was fore the most part out of this. I’m feeling sheepish now.
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Dear Kim,
Vice President Pence is not insane and he presents himself in a much more polished way. But he is a liar and not an honorable person.
Hugs, Gronda
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Dear Mz. Gronda,
Are you still so convinced of the innocence of Jared Kushner? If you recall he is one of the people that are known to have talked to the Russians, prior to the inauguration. Here is a link to an article that perhaps you might want to read, and consider…
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/is-jared-kushner-in-too-deep.html
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Dear Crustyolemothman,
I don’t know that much about Jared Kushner.
As per your ref. if Mr. Kushner was pushing for Mr. Comey to be fired, he does not have good political instincts.
My gut only, tells me that the ref. is probably right in stating that Gen Flynn probably co-opted Mr. Kushner.
I recall reading stories about Henry Kissinger giving Jared Kushner a lukewarm letter of recommendation; that he told a reporter that he was studying up on the middle east while waiting for a ski lift; and that his H.S. teachers thought that there was no way Jared Kushner would get into Harvard with his mediocre grades and SAT scores.But his Dad gave a generous donation to where Jared Kushner got into Harvard.
Frankly, I just don’t give him credit for accomplishing anything of significance.
Ciao, Gronda
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Good information, Gronda! I am simply overwhelmed at the audacity of this bunch of vipers. I’m exhausted by it all, as I’m sure you are also. And now, I am hearing that Flynn is planning to disregard the subpoena to testify! What next??? No wait … please don’t answer that just yet … I need to sleep tonight. Thanks again for a well-researched post!
Hugs!
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Mz. jilldennison, While it is hard to defend anything that Flynn has done, I can find no real fault to his refusal to testify before congress without immunity being given for his testimony. Remember, he is under criminal investigation and anything he says can and will be used against him in a court of law. In all due honesty do you know of anyone in his position that would testify before congress under those conditions? IMO it is more likely that he will die from a heart attack, or accident (such as being run over by a bus) or even suicide at this time than the average person who is not a former associate of the tRump, as I suspect he is holding the poker hand that could/would lead to charges against many members of the tRump administration possibly including the King… Reports are starting to come out that Flynn only took the position after much cajoling and pressure from tRump, so it would seem that most of the blame for this man being in the position belong to the man on top…
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You make a good point there. I, too, suspect that Flynn knows enough to sink the president’s boat if he testifies, and I would fully support giving him immunity for that reason. My thought, though … isn’t it against the law to ignore or refuse a subpoena? But then … I guess once you have broken the law to the extent he has, what’s a little infraction like that? But yes, I think that, whatever the price, we need to hear what Flynn has to say.
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Dear Jill,
Now that we know DDT’S modus operandi, we know that DDT’s attempts to continue to play nice with General Flynn, means that what Gen. Flynn has to be crucial.
Hugs, Gronda
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Gronda, what should surprise me, but does not, is the continual arrogance of the statements made by our President that that we did nothing wrong and this is a witch hunt. There are too many links and ties to Russia from the top on down. There is a man who is acting guilty at the top belittling the investigation, lying, changing his lies, changing his lies back to the original lies, firing the lead investigator and others in the know, and failing to honor a commitment to release his tax returns.
Even if the man at the top is innocent of collusion, this is not a witch hunt. It should be stated our intelligence community has confirmed with high confidence that the Russians meddled in our election. This sentence in and of itself, begs further investigation. If the President cannot acknowledge this one key assertion, then he should submit his resignation today.
Because the assertion bears repeating – a foreign entity interfered in our election. This must be investigated as Vladimir Putin is smiling the biggest of smiles on the havoc he has wrought on the United States of America.
Keith
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Dear Keith,
When DDT talks about how he is being so badly treated by the press and how the Trump-Russian probe is a witch-hunt, he is talking to his followers.
He is the anti-thesis of a conservative. Where do you see him taking responsibility for anything? Frankly, where do you see him acting like a conservative in any way? He is giving conservatism a bad name. I have never known a conservative who would be gushing in his praise for Russia. He is a phony, all the way.
Ciao, Gronda
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Gronda, your description is apt. Truman said the buck stops here. Our President says the buck is not my fault. Keith
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