White House says Trump did not know Flynn was representing Turkey

[rooster59]

White House says Trump did not know Flynn was representing Turkey

 

National security adviser General Michael Flynn arrives to deliver a statement during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington U.S., February 1, 2017. Picture taken February 1, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria -

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Friday that President Donald Trump did not know until this week that his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, had been working as a representative for Turkey, although the issue was raised with the Trump team before the Republican took office.

Flynn acted as a foreign agent representing the interests of Turkey’s government in exchange for more than $500,000 during last year’s presidential campaign even as he was advising Trump, the New York Times said on Friday.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters Flynn's lobbying was a personal and business matter, and it was up to him to decide when to register.

Asked if Trump had not been aware that former general Flynn was working as a foreign agent, Spicer said: "Correct... You wouldn't know that until he filed. He didn't file until two days ago."

Some U.S. lawmakers have questioned Flynn's relationship with the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Before Trump's inauguration, Flynn's ties to Turkey were widely reported and he wrote an article urging the United States to cultivate better relations with Erdogan.

Trump fired Flynn last month for discussing U.S. sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador to the United States before Trump took office on Jan. 20 and misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations.

Before Trump took office, Flynn's lawyer contacted the presidential transition team about his work for Turkey to ask what he should do, Spicer said. The lawyer was told "it was up to the personal lawyer to work with the appropriate authorities ... to determine what was appropriate and what was not appropriate in terms of filing," Spicer said.

"We trust people to fill out the forms that they are required to do so in an honest and legal manner, and in this case he retroactively filed the forms he was supposed to do," he said.

"We did the right thing then, and we expect every employee to follow the law."

Spicer said he did not know whether Flynn had disclosed his lobbying work in the security clearance review before he became national security adviser.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-11

[the guest]

For a man who says he knows everything, he doesn't really know much at all.

[Andaman Al]

Trump is a liar.

 

 

12 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

"We trust people to fill out the forms that they are required to do so in an honest and legal manner,

You do not trust anything about anyone that you are giving the nations highest security clearance to UNTIL they have passed..............ehmmm what's the term..........oh that's it...........extreme vetting!

 

Trump and his administration are lying or incompetent, either way they have no business doing the nations business.

[selftaopath]

The ONLY thing Republican Trump cares about it power and money. He will let Bannon and Putin do as they wish as long as he gains power and money. Might call it " The Sale of America."

[Presto]

The extreme vetting seems to work out not all that good for the Trump team. The most corrupt and shady administration ever .... well, outside of the third world of course.

[Srikcir]

1 hour ago, Presto said:

The extreme vetting seems to work out not all that good for the Trump team. The most corrupt and shady administration ever .... well, outside of the third world of course.

Flynn was neither Muslim, Mexican nor refugee. So he got vet-lite.

[Presto]

46 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Flynn was neither Muslim, Mexican nor refugee. So he got vet-lite.

Vet-lite for the position for the position of National Security Advisor ... 

[darksidedog]

Unbelieveable. You give a guy a job as National Secutity Adviser, and you haven't even looked at his CV?

Forgive my stupidity, but I thought that was absolutely the first thing you are supposed to do.

I would suspect that even McDonalds do that, but it's not important for this level of job?

[55Jay]

Trump doesn't seem to know or react to much, unless it's on Fox or Twitter. 

[Presto]

6 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

Trump doesn't seem to know or react to much, unless it's on Fox or Twitter. 

Trump has been living in his own bubble for decades. He doesn't know how the law works other than by bribing, threats or settlements. The thing is he is kept afloat by his cult followers and Republican politicians without a shred of integrity.

 

Although I think that Trump guy will go down in flames within one or two years. Till then,  enjoy the circus ..

[Tchooptip]

3 hours ago, Andaman Al said:

Trump is a liar.

 

 

You do not trust anything about anyone that you are giving the nations highest security clearance to UNTIL they have passed..............ehmmm what's the term..........oh that's it...........extreme vetting!

 

Trump and his administration are lying or incompetent, either way they have no business doing the nations business.

                 "Trump and his administration are lying or incompetent"

Why not, Trump and his administration are lying and incompetent.

[Tchooptip]

16 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

Unbelieveable. You give a guy a job as National Secutity Adviser, and you haven't even looked at his CV?

Forgive my stupidity, but I thought that was absolutely the first thing you are supposed to do.

I would suspect that even McDonalds do that, but it's not important for this level of job?

I would suspect that even McDonalds do that 

[Emster23]

Amazing to me how often Trump & friends trot out "We didn't know....", "Who could have known....?" and all the variations as if this "explanation" somehow is adequate... Oh, I understand, you can't be held accountable because you claim stupidity as a defense... You're fired, all the way top to bottom.

[jerojero]

Pants on fire, Donnie, your pants on fire.

[RPCVguy]

Congress formally notified the head of the Trump transition (Mike Pence) BEFORE they made Flynn the National Security Advisor. This is the same time as the AP and multiple cable news stations were also reporting the story. The lies are blatantly obvious in print and broadcast video.
Pants on Fire is too simple a reply. Try this as a chance to see some of the video.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/maddow-pence-story-on-flynn-impossible-to-believe-895464515859

[Andaman Al]

6 minutes ago, RPCVguy said:

Congress formally notified the head of the Trump transition (Mike Pence) BEFORE they made Flynn the National Security Advisor. This is the same time as the AP and multiple cable news stations were also reporting the story. The lies are blatantly obvious in print and broadcast video.
Pants on Fire is too simple a reply. Try this as a chance to see some of the video.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/maddow-pence-story-on-flynn-impossible-to-believe-895464515859

At the moment Maddow and her team are simply awesome. She is the first one I hunt for now on the tube to find out what is really happening. Other channels are reporting occurrences she is pulling them altogether into one big unbelievable story. If she has to make an assumption, she tells you, otherwise it is all based on fact and she references those.

[stevenl]

Pants on fire, Donnie, your pants on fire.

No, I don't think so, I think he really did not know. Had he known, would he have realised the implications?

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[boomerangutang]

              I agree with Andaman Al's post above:  Rachel Maddow's reporting is miles ahead of others'.  She's probably top of Trump's hate list because she's somehow gets to the meat of the matter and is not afraid to speak out.  Chris Oberman, TYT and Lawrence O'Donnel are good also.  

 

 

                 The mainstream media is ok, but are too busy being careful to be much use.  Fox is better than it was, but still dragging its conservative feet through the mud - always a week or two behind the 8-ball while trying hard to say nice things about The Divider.  Breitbart is garbage.

 

 

Edited March 11, 2017 by boomerangutang

[Andaman Al]

8 minutes ago, stevenl said:

No, I don't think so, I think he really did not know. Had he known, would he have realised the implications?

sent using Tapatalk
 

But if he did not know what does that say about him and the administration. For the President it is easy, when he has a short list of 3 people for National Security Adviser, he picks up the phone and tells Director FBI he wants to know EVERYTHING about them down to what colour underwear they prefer. It is that easy. Once given a 'extreme vetting' report on each, then he can make the decision as to who will be one of the custodians of the USA's most closely guarded secrets.

[boomerangutang]

3 minutes ago, stevenl said:

No, I don't think so, I think he really did not know. Had he known, would he have realised the implications?

                  Are you kidding?   Trump knows all sorts of secrets.  He's never the one to reveal anything bad about his comrades.  It's always progressives who reveal pertinent news, and then Trump immediately tries to deny it.   When denying doesn't work, he grudgingly/belatedly admits the truth or (as he's been doing lately) avoids responding to any questions.

 

               Pence is also an endemic liar.  Pence knew what Flynn talked to the Russian ambassador about.   So did Trump.   To believe Pence, one would have to believe neither Flynn nor Trump told him what was going on.  Great team.

 

               Pence has also been caught in another lie:   He says he didn't know anything about Flynn being a Turkish agent, but there were news articles all over the place for weeks before the story skyrocketed yesterday.   In order for Pence to not have known, he would have had to be lied to (again!) by Pence, and to have no idea of what the press corps was talking about in dozens of news outlets.   Trump also knew all along about Flynn's law-breaking, but it didn't matter one whit.  Trump is to breaking laws what a dog is to sniffing butts.

[Presto]

12 minutes ago, boomerangutang said:

              I agree with Andaman Al's post above:  Rachel Maddow's reporting is miles ahead of others'.  She's probably top of Trump's hate list because she's somehow gets to the meat of the matter and is not afraid to speak out.  Chris Oberman, TYT and Lawrence O'Donnel are good also.  

 

 

                 The mainstream media is ok, but are too busy being careful to be much use.  Fox is better than it was, but still dragging its conservative feet through the mud - always a week or two behind the 8-ball while trying hard to say nice things about The Divider.  Breitbart is garbage.

 

 

... Keith Olbermann. I follow Robert Reich. But I say, frapper toujours, and many roads lead to Rome.

[boomerangutang]

1 minute ago, Andaman Al said:

But if he did not know what does that say about him and the administration. For the President it is easy, when he has a short list of 3 people for National Security Adviser, he picks up the phone and tells Director FBI he wants to know EVERYTHING about them down to what colour underwear they prefer. It is that easy. Once given a 'extreme vetting' report on each, then he can make the decision as to who will be one of the custodians of the USA's most closely guarded secrets.

               That's what a good executive would do.  Trump is a rotten executive.  He is so used to lying to get what he wants, that he can't fathom that now his lies can be fact checked in seconds.  Bankers making loans (and investors throwing their money around) are used to get lied to, so they expect it from shysters like Trump.  However, the American people (other than Trump fans) don't particularly like being lied to.   Trump can't figure it out.

[Presto]

He just chose a close friend and advisor, simple as that. That's the world he lives in.

[boomerangutang]

3 minutes ago, Presto said:

... Keith Olbermann. I follow Robert Reich. But I say, frapper toujours, and many roads lead to Rome.

You're right with Keith Olbermann name.  I got it wrong.  Resist!  Peace!   ha ha ha ha.

I wish he were president.

[stevenl]

But if he did not know what does that say about him and the administration. For the President it is easy, when he has a short list of 3 people for National Security Adviser, he picks up the phone and tells Director FBI he wants to know EVERYTHING about them down to what colour underwear they prefer. It is that easy. Once given a 'extreme vetting' report on each, then he can make the decision as to who will be one of the custodians of the USA's most closely guarded secrets.

Agreed, but Trump does not need advice from FBI. He knows his people, and knows they are trustworthy.

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[Andaman Al]

10 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Agreed, but Trump does not need advice from FBI. He knows his people, and knows they are trustworthy.

sent using Tapatalk
 

I have had a long day. Is that humour? I think it is but I doubt everything now 

[stevenl]

I have had a long day. Is that humour? I think it is but I doubt everything now 

Unfortunately it is not humour, but the way I think Trump's though process works.

sent using Tapatalk

[optad]

We are in early days of a new presidency and already very dangerous inconsistencies are being sent. 

 

Does Trump realise POTUS extends beyond US domestic affairs? The longer this question lives in a vacuum, the less the answer becomes poignant. 10 distinct naval fleets mean little when relationships deteriorate and perspectives shift. 

[Andaman Al]

1 minute ago, stevenl said:

Unfortunately it is not humour, but the way I think Trump's though process works.

sent using Tapatalk
 

So can you redefine trustworthy for us? To choose people that are liars, conmen, secret 'foreign government agents'. Do you think at the least this should make anyone question Trumps judgement?Trump is supposed to be upholding faithfully the Office of President. Should him and his staff be trustworthy to the United States, whom they have sworn to serve? Or is this trust something that just exists between the team in that they can lie and connive as long as they do what Donald tells them to do? 

[boomerangutang]

2 hours ago, stevenl said:

Agreed, but Trump does not need advice from FBI. He knows his people, and knows they are trustworthy.

One could say the same about Pol Pot, Mussolini, Mao or Stalin.

 

BTW, remember how often (at least 13 times at stump speeches) Trump put down Obama for going off to play golf?   At least Obama stayed at the WH and got work done.   In contrast, Trump flies down to FL every weekend, and has been playing golf more often than Obama.     Obama; once every 10 to 12 days.  Trump: once per week.