U.S. Department of Justice
Attorney Work Product // May Contain Material Protected Under Fed. R. Crim. P. 6(e)
good person."[1] The President also privately asked advisors to pass messages to Flynn conveying that the President still cared about him and encouraging him to stay strong.[2]
In late November 2017, Flynn began to cooperate with this Office. On November 22, 2017, Flynn withdrew from a joint defense agreement he had with the President.[3] Flynn's counsel told the President's personal counsel and counsel for the White House that Flynn could no longer have confidential communications with the White House or the President.[4] Later that night, the President's personal counsel left a voicemail for Flynn's counsel that said
I understand your situation, but let me see if I can't state in starker terms.... [I]t wouldn't surprise me if you've gone on to make a deal with he government... [I]f ... there's information that implicates the President, then we've got a national security issue,... so, you know,... we need some kind of heads up. Um, just for the sake of protecting all our interests if we can. … [R]emember what we've always said about the President and his feelings toward Flynn and, that still remains…[5]
On November 23, 2017, Flynn's attorneys returned the call from the President's personal counsel to acknowledge receipt of the voicemail.[6] Flynn's attorneys reiterated that they were no longer in a position to share information under any sort of privilege.[7] According to Flynn’s attorneys, the President's personal counsel was indignant and vocal in his disagreement.[8] The President's personal counsel said that he interpreted what they said to him as a reflection of Flynn's
- ↑ See, e.g., Remarks by President Trump in Press Conference, White House (Feb. 6, 2018) (stating that "Flynn is a fine person" and "I don't think [Flynn] did anything wrong. If anything, he did something right. You know, he was just doing his job); Interview of Donald J. Trump, NBC (May, 2017) (stating that Flynn is a "very good person").
- ↑ See Priebus 1/18/17 302, at 9-10 (the President asked Priebus to contact Flynn the week he was terminated to convey that the President still cared about him and felt bad about what happened to him; Priebus thought the President did not want Flynn to have a problem with him); McFarland 12/22/17 302, at 18 (about a month or two after Flynn was terminated, the President asked McFarland to get in touch with Flynn and tell him that he was a good guy, he should stay strong, and the President felt bad for him); Flynn I/19/18 302, at 9 (recalling the call from Priebus and an additional call from Hicks who said she wanted to relay on behalf of the President that the President hoped Flynn was okay); Christie 2/13/19 302, at3 (describing a phone conversation between Kushner and Flynn the day after Flynn was fired where Kushner said, "You know the President respects you. The President cares about you. get the President o send out a positive tweet about you later," and the President nodded his assent to Kushner's comment promising a tweet).
- ↑ Counsel for Flynn 3/1/18 302, at 1.
- ↑ Counsel for Flynn 3/1/18 302, at 1.
- ↑ 11/22/17 Voicemail Transcript, President's Personal Counsel to Counsel for Michael Flynn.
- ↑ Counsel for Flynn 3/1/18 302, at 1.
- ↑ Counsel for Flynn 3/1/18 302, at 1.
- ↑ Counsel for Flynn 3/1/18 302, a 1.
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