woodguru wrote:
Flynn actually was caught red handed lying about communications, so was Manafort, Flynn called his Russian during the inauguration and told him to consider the sanctions lifted. That was caught by FBI wiretaps.
What a misrepresentation of the facts!
*****************************************
On Dec 29,
Mr. Flynn calls a senior transition
official to talk about what to say to
Mr. Kislyak. They also discuss that
“members of the presidential transition
team” at Mar-a-Lago “did not want
Russia to escalate the situation.”
(In other words he checks on what he can do before acting.)
Same day, dEc 29,
Mr.Flynn calls Mr. Kislyak and asks that
Russia not escalate the situation.
Shortly after his call with Mr.
Kislyak, Mr. Flynn calls the transition
official to report on his conversation
with the Russian ambassador.
Dec 30,
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia
announces he will not take retaliatory
measures in response to the sanctions.
(whether due to call or not)
Dec 30,
Mr. Trump praises Mr. Putin’s response on
Twitter: “I always knew he was very smart!”
Dec 31,
Mr. Kislyak calls Mr. Flynn and tells
him that, in response to Mr. Flynn’s
request, Russia chose not to retaliate.
Dec 31,
Mr. Flynn tells senior members of the
transition team what Mr. Kislyak told him.
Jan 12,
News organizations first report on a
call between Mr. Flynn and Mr. Kislyak.
Jan 13,
In a conference call with reporters, Sean
Spicer confirms a phone conversation
between Mr. Flynn and Mr. Kislyak, saying
it had “centered around the logistics” and
had “never touched on the sanctions.”
Jan 14 (Here is where he went wrong)
Mr. Flynn informs Vice President
Mike Pence that he did not discuss
U.S. sanctions against Russia
with Mr. Kislyak in the phone call.
Jan 24, (compounds his error)
F.B.I. agents interview Mr. Flynn about his
conversations with Mr. Kislyak. He says he
did not ask Mr. Kislyak to refrain from
responding to the sanctions. He also says
he did not remember the conversation in
which Mr. Kislyak said Russia moderated its
response as a result of Mr. Flynn’s request.
(Lots of back and forth with media, senior officials, and Trump.)
Feb 13.
Mr. Flynn resigns as
national security adviser.
Dec 1,
Mr. Flynn pleads guilty to lying to the F.B.I.
about his conversations with Mr. Kislyak.
***************************************
So it wasn't his phone conversation which was wrong, nor what he talked about. It was his lying about it! Nor did he EVER say sanctions were or would be lifted, nor imply such! He asked that Russia refrain from escalating the situation. The phone conversation in and of itself was a GOOD thing. It was his lying which was what was wrong about it.