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Latest Released Documents Show FBI Withheld Transcript of Russian Call To Flynn During Interview

Documents, notes and transcripts continue to be unearthed in the Flynn case. The latest damning information includes a memo draft from January 2017 in which the DOJ states “FBI Leadership” decided “against showing Flynn transcripts of his calls with the Russian ambassador in the White House interview that led to his guilty plea” reported National Review.

[otw_shortcode_dropcap label=”D” font=”Ultra” background_color_class=”otw-no-background” size=”large” border_color_class=”otw-no-border-color”][/otw_shortcode_dropcap]ocuments, notes, and transcripts continue to be unearthed in the Flynn case. The latest damning information includes a memo draft from January 2017 in which the DOJ states “FBI Leadership” decided “against showing Flynn transcripts of his calls with the Russian ambassador in the White House interview that led to his guilty plea,” reported National Review.

The latest memo was released “along with a batch of handwritten notes” from DOJ and FBI officials surrounding Flynn’s infamous January 24, 2017, White House interview with former FBI agent Peter Strzok and FBI agent Joseph Pientka. The notes are further indications that the FBI conducted a “spontaneous” and unnecessary interview with Michael Flynn, who had just started the role of national-security adviser for President Trump. Flynn released the documents Friday after they were given to his defense team by the Justice Department.

Although heavily redacted, the National Review shows the DOJ draft document states, “FBI advised that based on this interview, they did not believe General Flynn was acting as an age of Russia.” Additionally, the “FBI also advised that although they recognized the statements were inconsistent with the FISA collection, they believed that Flynn believed what he was telling them. FBI did not confront Flynn with the communications during the interview.”

National Review reports that the latest memo, “explains that while the Bureau ‘prompted Flynn with the language used during the call,’ Flynn was not shown his actual words because of a decision ‘made by FBI leadership not to confront Flynn with the actual tech cuts.”

“Tech cuts” commonly refers to internal FBI documents “that contain and describe FISA intelligence, suggesting that the FBI picked up Flynn’s calls through FISA surveillance.” Flynn’s calls in question are with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. National Review points out that the mere mention of “tech cuts” adds “further context to the questions over how Flynn’s calls were monitored in the first place.”

After the calls were picked up through FISA surveillance, DOJ inspector general Michael Horowitz said his office “found no evidence” of a FISA application on Flynn, “raising the possibility that Flynn’s calls with Kislyak were picked up through FISA surveillance of the Russians.”

Transcripts of Flynn’s calls were released in May which confirmed Flynn never mentioned “sanctions” and asked Russia not to “escalate” after the Obama administration sanctioned the Kremlin for election interference. Flynn’s attorney Sidney Powell said the new information concludes, “In short, there was no crime for many reasons.” “These documents were known to exist at the highest levels of the Justice Department and by Special Counsel, yet they were hidden from the defense for three years” added Powell.

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