John Durham investigating classified media leaks about
Michael Flynn
by Jerry Dunleavy
April 24, 2020 07:34 PM
Updated Apr 24, 2020, 08:02 PM
"U.S. Attorney John Durham is investigating the leaks of potentially classified information to the media in early 2017 about President Trump's former national security adviser, Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn, who resigned before getting swept up in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.
Durham, picked by Attorney General William Barr last year to lead a review of the actions taken by law enforcement and intelligence officials during the Russia investigation, is looking into media leaks, which dominated the Trump transition period and the early days of the Trump administration, including at least one widely reported story which revealed secretive details about Flynn’s contacts with a Russian envoy, according to sources cited in a new report by the New York Times.
The report signals the breadth of the DOJ investigation is wider than previously known, as Durham's team is looking into claims made by Republicans that Obama holdovers were intentionally trying to kneecap Trump’s presidency by weaponizing sensitive information through the media.
The Connecticut federal prosecutor is reportedly looking into a Jan. 12, 2017 article in the Washington Post by columnist David Ignatius, which said Flynn “cultivates close Russian contacts” and cited a “senior U.S. government official” who revealed Flynn had talked to now-former Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak on Dec. 29, 2016, which was the same day President Barack Obama expelled 35 Russian officials. It is likely that this revelation, and subsequent leaks about the alleged contents of Flynn’s discussions with Kislyak, were based on classified information. Ignatius also raised the possibility that Flynn had violated the Logan Act, a rarely enforced law, which former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates and other Obama DOJ holdovers at least considered using against Flynn. Ignatius said he wanted answers on those issues about Flynn to avoid a “Shakespearean tragic ending” for Trump’s presidency.
The New York Times report said it is not known whether Durham has taken over a preexisting media leaks investigation or his is separate. It is also not known whether Durham is scrutinizing any other leaks."
moar:
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/john-durham-investigating-classified-media-leaks-about-michael-flynn
play it again sam