U.S. authorities possess information previously unknown to them regarding former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s secret work for the government of Turkey, a Friday court hearing revealed.
The former national security advisor previously admitted publicly that he had filed false foreign lobbying disclosure documents concerning work for Turkey done by his lobbying group the Flynn Intel Group in 2016.
Prosecutors told Bijan Kian, Flynn’s former lobbying partner, that the United States government had “multiple, independent pieces of information relating to the Turkish government’s efforts to influence United States policy on Turkey and Fethullah Gulen, including information relating to communications, interactions, and a relationship between Ekim Alptekin and Michael Flynn, and Ekim Alptekin’s engagement of Michael Flynn because of Michael Flynn’s relationship with an ongoing presidential campaign.”
The attorney for Kian, Mark MacDougall, read the statement at a court hearing Friday morning, suggesting that the freshly revealed information about the former national security advisor may be classified.
Flynn’s attorney said he and his client had “no idea what the government is talking about,” and added that it was most likely a desperate move.
“Whatever it is, it cannot be new information to the prosecution, and it was only a few months ago prosecutors recommended probation for him. As we have said in our recent filings, this can only be retaliation for his refusal to answer a question the way they wanted,” said the attorney, Sidney Powell.
The court filing alleges that Flynn’s lobbying group and Kian had contracted with Alptekim to slander Gulen while he lived in the U.S. After Flynn pleaded guilty in 2017, Kian was charged by prosecutors with illegally lobbying for Turkey.
The latest developments come as Flynn’s cooperation deal with prosecutors is in jeopardy due to his inconsistent statements and efforts to change his story from what he pleaded to. Flynn has helped prosecutors with both the special counsel’s probe into Russian election interference and the President’s attempts to obstruct justice, receiving a lenient sentence in return.
Be the first to comment