When former national security advisor Mike Flynn stepped down from the position he’d held so briefly, both he and the President made it sound like they were still on great terms.
Flynn’s resignation, after less than a month on the job, inferred that he was willingly stepping away because he had made a few small mistakes “due to the fast pace of events.” He praised Trump for all that he had supposedly accomplished in his first three weeks.
Trump and his team, including spokespeople Spicer and Conway, continued to insist that the President thought Mike Flynn was a fine upstanding guy and that he hadn’t done anything wrong.
Flynn was one of the earliest and most fervent of Trump’s supporters, and was no surprise as a political appointee. Trump is well known for his practice of rewarding loyalty.
But as the weeks have gone on and the multiple investigations into Russia’s interference in the election have lead to ever deeper mysteries, it seems that the former General, former national security advisor, and former friend of Trump is ready to switch sides.
Mike Flynn has offered to testify before the investigative committees in the FBI, the House and the Senate, but he wants a guarantee that he will be immune from prosecution.
That certainly makes us wonder what he really did and when he did it and which Russian officials were involved.
And just in case we weren’t sure that Flynn is ready to tell all and to throw his former boss under the bus, the Huffington Post reports that the lawyer he has hired is a former “NeverTrumper.”
Robert Kelner, who is representing General Flynn in the matter of his Russia testimony, has been a very outspoken opponent of Donald Trump since the early days of the campaign. Now he says:
“General Flynn certainly has a story to tell, and he very much wants to tell it, should the circumstances permit.”
Long before he was hired to represent Mike Flynn, Kelner was seen frequently on social media expressing his disdain for then candidate Trump.
The worst part about @realDonaldTrump is the way he tarnishes the leading lights of our party by bringing them down to his level #NeverTrump
— Robert Kelner (@robkelner) June 4, 2016
We have American troops on the ground overseeing this. And he is criticizing their conduct of the battle while it is ongoing? Horrible. https://t.co/La6w0I8J42
— Robert Kelner (@robkelner) October 24, 2016
Kelner’s criticism of Trump hasn’t slowed since the inauguration, either. He has weighed in frequently on the issues facing the Ukraine and on Russia’s involvement in the Crimea.
I spent a year living there. America and Russia could not be more different. We have been, and should remain, the shining city on a hill. https://t.co/wuED9X6RsK
— Robert Kelner (@robkelner) February 5, 2017
So what does it mean that Mike Flynn has hired Robert Kelner to help him avoid a subpoena and forced testimony in front of the Russia investigation committees? It seems to this journalist that the good General is pretty pissed off at having been set up by Trump. It seems likely that he has lots of juicy details to share about Trump’s direct involvement with the Russian hacking efforts.
It seems obvious that he doesn’t think of himself as a big Trump fan anymore.
Here is the full text of Attorney Kelner’s letter to the committee chairs. Very, very interesting reading.
A statement by counsel to General Flynn. pic.twitter.com/JQs90OI2OY
— Robert Kelner (@robkelner) March 30, 2017
Featured image via Wikimedia commons.
