Michael Flynn did not list three Russia-linked sources of income in the legally required ethics forms he submitted days before being ousted from his job as President Trump’s national security adviser (amidst concerns that he may have had an inappropriate ties to Russian officials). Though he did disclose the more than $1.3 million in income he made last year in the documents he submitted on February 11, he did not specify that some of his non-government compensation had come from the Kremlin-backed RT (Russia Today) news network as well as from speaking fees collected from two Russia-based companies, Volga-Dnepr Airlines and Kaspersky Government Security Solutions.
Flynn had reported his speaking-engagement income, in general, but he did not list who had paid him for individual speaking engagements. That information was subsequently included on an amended disclosure form, which the White House released on Saturday. The second form does not list how all of his compensation broke down monetarily, however, just who had paid him $5,000 or more in a year. Politico reports that the White House only asked for more detailed information about his private-sector work and assets this past week, and Flynn sent them the amended form on Friday.
Flynn’s newly released financials also indicate that he has worked for various tech and D.C. consulting firms, even though he has previously criticized other retired military leaders for taking similar private-sector gigs. More than $800,000 in income came from his now-shuttered consulting firm, the Flynn Intel Group, though he did not disclose the company’s clients, like the Turkish-owned business linked to the Turkish government that hired Flynn’s company — another source of ethical controversy for the retired lieutenant general.
It’s also possible that Flynn would have ultimately itemized the Russia-linked income had he not been forced from his White House job, since the disclosure process often involves some back and forth with government ethics officials and that may have been prevented on account of him no longer working in the government.
Flynn was fired, or more specifically, asked to resign, from his White House post in February after the media learned that he had been recorded discussing the latest Obama-issued U.S. sanctions against Russia with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, then misled Vice-President Pence about it. Flynn is currently under investigation over his Russia ties while a member of the Trump campaign, and last week his lawyer suggested that Flynn has “a story to tell,” but should be granted immunity if investigators want to hear it, citing concerns that he would otherwise face “unfair prosecution.”
On Sunday, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Congressman Adam Schiff, said that he is treating that immunity request with “healthy skepticism.”
