In their attempt to cobble together a "Russian Collusion" bombshell for the evening, CNN has apparently managed to confirm that Michael Flynn is in fact the father of Michael Flynn Jr.
While we jest, of course, 'worrying' would seem to be the natural reaction of a father to a Special Counsel probe that started off as an investigation into alleged Russian collusion but has seemingly morphed into a crusade to dig up any and all dirt on a handful of Trump administration officials, dirt which may or may not be in anyway related to the Trump campaign. Be that as it may, here is CNN's take on Flynn's concern for Flynn Jr:
Former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn has expressed concern about the potential legal exposure of his son, Michael Flynn Jr., who, like his father, is under scrutiny by special counsel Robert Mueller, multiple sources familiar with the matter tell CNN.
Flynn's concern could factor into decisions about how to respond to Mueller's ongoing investigation. The special counsel is looking into Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign as well as the business dealings of key campaign advisers to President Donald Trump.
Flynn's wife, Lori, shares his concerns about their son's possible legal exposure, according to a person who knows the family.
As we've discussed repeatedly over the past several months, Flynn and his consulting firm, Flynn Intel Group, are under investigation for everything from a series of phone calls he made to Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak to a potentially laundered consulting payment from the Turkish government allegedly tied to efforts to remove a Turkish cleric who has been living in exile in Pennsylvania.
Interviews conducted by special counsel investigators have included questions about the business dealings of Flynn and his son such as their firm's reporting of income from work overseas, two witnesses interviewed by the team told CNN. The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) requires people acting as agents of foreign entities to publicly disclose their relationship with foreign countries or businesses and financial compensation for such work.
Flynn Jr., who served as his father's chief of staff and top aide, was actively involved in his father's consulting and lobbying work at their firm, Flynn Intel Group. That included joining his father on overseas trips, such as Moscow in December 2015. During that trip, Flynn dined with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a black-tie gala for the RT television network, which US intelligence views as a Russian propaganda outlet.
Flynn's business dealings have been the subject of federal investigation since November 2016, prior to Mueller's appointment in March. Flynn is also under legal scrutiny by Mueller's team for undisclosed lobbying that he did during the presidential campaign on behalf of the Turkish government, according to sources familiar with the matter. It's against the law to lobby in the United States on behalf of a foreign government without informing the Justice Department.
FBI investigators also have scrutinized a series of phone calls during the Trump transition between Flynn and the Russian ambassador to the US at the time, Sergey Kislyak. The conversations centered on US sanctions against Russia and whether they would remain in place during the Trump administration.
Another area of interest to Mueller's team is Flynn's alleged participation in discussions about the idea of removing a Turkish cleric who has been living in exile in Pennsylvania, sources said. In the past, a spokesman for Flynn has denied that such discussions occurred.
The former general's consulting firm, Flynn Intel Group, took $530,000 from a company based in the Netherlands that has extensive ties to the Turkish government.
Of course, as worried as his parents may be, Jr. doesn't seem to be all that concerned after tweeting out the following over the weekend...
"The SJW are out in full this morning....the disappointment on your faces
when I don’t go to jail will be worth all your harassment..."
The SJW are out in full this morning....the disappointment on your faces when I don’t go to jail will be worth all your harassment...
— ????????MFLYNNJR???????? (@mflynnJR) November 5, 2017