{"id":28106,"date":"2017-12-01T12:05:06","date_gmt":"2017-12-01T18:05:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gregladen.com\/blog\/?p=28106"},"modified":"2017-12-05T20:03:17","modified_gmt":"2017-12-06T02:03:17","slug":"flynn-will-testify-trump-directed-contact-with-russians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gregladen.com\/blog\/2017\/12\/01\/flynn-will-testify-trump-directed-contact-with-russians\/","title":{"rendered":"Flynn will testify that Trump directed him to contact Russians"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I suggested several months ago that a document produced by a source that I knew independently to be good strongly suggested that Donald Trump colluded with the Russians to alter the outcome of an American election, Scienceblogs shut me down, unposted the post, and made it impossible for me to access my account. I complained and they backed off, and I think the individual who did it was literally on drugs at the time, but still, it was the only time anything like that ever happened at Scienceblogs. And it was about Trump being guilty of collusion with Russia. I have not mentioned that before because I believed the individual who carried out this act was vindictive and I didn’t know if there was a link to the Republicans or some other entity, so I kept my mouth shut about it until the very last day that there could be any retribution. Scienceblogs stopped the redirect from the old site to my new blog yesterday.<\/p>\n

And, almost to the day, the suggestion that Trump colluded with the Russians is again supported indirectly by things we suddenly know. <\/p>\n

Michael Flynn has apparently cut a deal with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. He pleaded guilty to two counts of lying to an FBI agent<\/a>. Each count is worth up to five years in Prison, and judges who pass sentences do not like it when you do that. We don’t know what the deal is, but according to ABC News, “… Flynn has promised \u201cfull cooperation\u201d in the special counsel\u2019s Russia investigation and, according to a confidant, is prepared to testify that Donald Trump directed him to make contact with the Russians, initially as a way to work together to fight ISIS in Syria.”<\/p>\n

It is not clear that Flynn will link Trump and Russia with respect to the election meddling, but this is a beginning towards that likely end. Also, Flynn’s testimony gives lie to many claims made by Trump and others. One might wonder why there would be an effort to hide an innocent communication between leaders or prospective leaders about a significant terrorist threat.<\/p>\n

The details of this unfolding story are still murky and there is only one source, a confidant of Flynn’s. Flynn is still saying he was totally innocent of all things (other, of course, than that for which he has formally claimed guilt.)<\/p>\n

Here is an ABC report:<\/p>\n