More
on the Russian connection – Generalissimo Flynn
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/democrats-target-trump-security-advisor-flynn-over-russia-205759643.html
Democrats
target Trump security advisor Flynn over Russia payments
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US National Security
Adviser Mike Flynn speaks during the daily press briefing as Press Secretary
Sean Spicer (L) looks on at the White House on February 1, 2017 (AFP
Photo/NICHOLAS KAMM)
Washington (AFP) - Top
US Democrats said Tuesday that White House National Security Advisor Mike Flynn
may have violated the law in taking payments from Russia's RT television to
attend a party with Vladimir Putin.
In a letter to the
Pentagon, the senior Democrats of six powerful House committees asked the
Pentagon for documents on Flynn's acceptance of payments from RT, which they
called the "propaganda arm of the Russian government," after his
retirement from the US Army in 2014.
The Democrats cited US
laws and Pentagon policy against officials, including retired officers in the
military's case, accepting direct or indirect payments from foreign
governments.
They noted that after Flynn retired as a lieutenant general, he regularly appeared as a
commentator on RT and has himself said he was paid to attend an RT gala dinner
in December 2015 in which he sat with the Russian president.
They cited the
Emoluments Clause of the US Constitution, which bans senior officials from
taking money or gifts from foreign countries.
"The Department of
Defense has made clear that this restriction applies to retired military
officers because they continue to hold offices of trust," they wrote.
Flynn's final position
in his three-decade military career was director of the Defense Intelligence
Agency.
He was named as
President Donald Trump's top security advisor despite strong criticism of his
allegedly close relationship with Moscow and pictures from the RT gala showing
him sitting next to Putin.
US intelligence agencies
said in a report in January that RT was closely controlled by the Kremlin.
The Democrats asked
the Pentagon to supply any communications between Flynn and Russian or other
foreign officials, and information on payments he may have received from
foreign sources.
Those signing the letter included the heads of
the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Armed Service Committees.
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