Trump lawyer says president knew Flynn had given FBI the same account he gave to vice president
Post ) Trump
Trump  was aware of the issue a couple of weeks before a conversation with then-FBI Director James B. Comey in which Comey said the president asked him if he could be lenient while investigating Flynn  whom  Trump  had just fired for misleading Pence about the nature of his conversations with the Russian.
According to notes kept by Comey   Trump  asked if he could see “his way clear to letting this go  to letting Flynn go.”  Trump  fired Comey in May.
In a pre-dawn tweet Sunday   Trump  issued a fresh rebuttal to Comey  writing: “I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!” The tweet was part of a running commentary from  Trump  that began Saturday  a day after Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and indicated he would cooperate with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III  who is probing Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Dowd confirmed Sunday that he had drafted the tweet for  Trump  and acknowledged that it was sloppily worded. He said it was inaccurate to say  the president  was told that Flynn had lied to the FBI. Dowd said Sunday that  Trump  knew only what acting attorney general Sally Yates had told the White House counsel: that Flynn’s accounts to the agents interviewing him were the same as those Flynn gave Pence  and “that the [Justice] Department was not accusing him of lying.”
Dowd played down the significance of  Trump ’s tweet. He said he did not intend to make news and declared  “I’m out of the tweeting business.”
[Graphic: Here’s what we know so far about  Team Trump’s  ties to Russian interests]
If  Trump  knew that Flynn might not have been accurate with the FBI  it could provide motivation for any alleged effort to obstruct justice  said Barak Cohen  a former federal prosecutor who does white-collar defense work at the Perkins Coie law firm. “It bolsters the intent for committing obstruction ” he said.
The person  who  like others  spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly  said that White House officials quickly realized the tweet could significantly assist Mueller if he chooses to pursue an obstruction case. The development sparked particular concern because others around  Trump  were not certain that  Trump  knew Flynn had made a false statement to the FBI at the time he fired him  the person added.
McGahn was told Jan. 30 that the material was ready for his review  the officials said. On that night   Trump  fired Yates over her refusal to defend his travel ban.
A person familiar with McGahn’s account says the White House counsel did not give  Trump  any indication in January that Flynn had violated the law in his FBI interview or tell  the president  that  he  believed Flynn was under criminal investigation.
As controversy built Sunday about  Trump’s  actions  he sought to focus attention on news that Peter Strzok — the former top FBI official assigned to Mueller’s probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election — was taken off that job this summer after his bosses discovered that he and another member of Mueller’s team had exchanged politically charged texts disparaging  Trump  and supporting Democrat Hillary Clinton.
“Report: ‘ANTI-TRUMP FBI AGENT LED CLINTON EMAIL PROBE’ Now it all starts to make sense!”  Trump  wrote.  He  also criticized the FBI and promised to bring it back to “greatness” under  his  administration.
“After years of Comey  with the phony and dishonest Clinton investigation (and more)  running the FBI  its reputation is in Tatters - worst in History!”  Trump  wrote on Twitter. “But fear not  we will bring it back to greatness.”
Trump  was aware of the issue a couple of weeks before a conversation with then-FBI Director James B. Comey in which Comey said the president asked him if he could be lenient while investigating Flynn  whom  Trump  had just fired for misleading Pence about the nature of his conversations with the Russian.
According to notes kept by Comey   Trump  asked if he could see “his way clear to letting this go  to letting Flynn go.”  Trump  fired Comey in May.
In a pre-dawn tweet Sunday   Trump  issued a fresh rebuttal to Comey  writing: “I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!” The tweet was part of a running commentary from  Trump  that began Saturday  a day after Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and indicated he would cooperate with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III  who is probing Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Dowd confirmed Sunday that he had drafted the tweet for  Trump  and acknowledged that it was sloppily worded. He said it was inaccurate to say  the president  was told that Flynn had lied to the FBI. Dowd said Sunday that  Trump  knew only what acting attorney general Sally Yates had told the White House counsel: that Flynn’s accounts to the agents interviewing him were the same as those Flynn gave Pence  and “that the [Justice] Department was not accusing him of lying.”
Dowd played down the significance of  Trump ’s tweet. He said he did not intend to make news and declared  “I’m out of the tweeting business.”
[Graphic: Here’s what we know so far about  Team Trump’s  ties to Russian interests]
If  Trump  knew that Flynn might not have been accurate with the FBI  it could provide motivation for any alleged effort to obstruct justice  said Barak Cohen  a former federal prosecutor who does white-collar defense work at the Perkins Coie law firm. “It bolsters the intent for committing obstruction ” he said.
The person  who  like others  spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly  said that White House officials quickly realized the tweet could significantly assist Mueller if he chooses to pursue an obstruction case. The development sparked particular concern because others around  Trump  were not certain that  Trump  knew Flynn had made a false statement to the FBI at the time he fired him  the person added.
McGahn was told Jan. 30 that the material was ready for his review  the officials said. On that night   Trump  fired Yates over her refusal to defend his travel ban.
A person familiar with McGahn’s account says the White House counsel did not give  Trump  any indication in January that Flynn had violated the law in his FBI interview or tell  the president  that  he  believed Flynn was under criminal investigation.
As controversy built Sunday about  Trump’s  actions  he sought to focus attention on news that Peter Strzok — the former top FBI official assigned to Mueller’s probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election — was taken off that job this summer after his bosses discovered that he and another member of Mueller’s team had exchanged politically charged texts disparaging  Trump  and supporting Democrat Hillary Clinton.
“Report: ‘ANTI-TRUMP FBI AGENT LED CLINTON EMAIL PROBE’ Now it all starts to make sense!”  Trump  wrote.  He  also criticized the FBI and promised to bring it back to “greatness” under  his  administration.
“After years of Comey  with the phony and dishonest Clinton investigation (and more)  running the FBI  its reputation is in Tatters - worst in History!”  Trump  wrote on Twitter. “But fear not  we will bring it back to greatness.”