Liberal Forum

December 29: President Obama announced measures, including sanctions, on Russia for its interference in the U.S. election.
Flynn and Kislyak speak that day, The Washington Post reports, citing a Trump transition official.
The official says sanctions weren’t discussed.

December 30: Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow will not retaliate.
The Post says that prompted U.S. intelligence analysts to look for reasons why Putin declined to impose his own measures against the U.S.
They found, the newspaper reported, Kislyak’s communications, including the phone call, with Flynn.
Sally Yates, then the deputy attorney general, found Flynn’s comments in the call “highly significant,” the Post reported.

January 13: Sean Spicer, the White House spokesman, told reporters in a conference call that Flynn and Kislyak only discussed a post-inauguration call between Trump and Putin.
“That was it, plain and simple,” he said.

January 15: Pence, on CBS’s Face the Nation, said Flynn “did not discuss anything having to do with the United States’ decision to expel diplomats or impose censure against Russia.”

January 23: Spicer told reporters he spoke with Flynn about the issue the previous night (January 22).
He said Flynn and the Russian envoy spoke once.
They discussed, he said, the Russian plane crash, the Syrian civil war, Christmas, and a call between their two leaders.

January 26: Yates briefed Donald McGahn, the White House counsel, about the conversation, Spicer said Tuesday.
(The FBI interviewed Flynn immediately prior to this briefing, the Times reported Tuesday, but it’s unclear what date that interview occurred.
The Times added the bureau believes Flynn wasn’t completely forthcoming during the interview.)

The Post reported earlier Tuesday that Yates told McGahn that Flynn had misled Pence and others about the content of his conversations with Kislyak.
Flynn, Yates reportedly said, was consequently vulnerable to Russian blackmail.
Spicer said McGahn immediately briefed Trump and other senior officials.

February 7 and 8: Flynn told the Post he did not discuss the sanctions with Kislyak.
A day later, his spokesman told the Post the national security adviser “couldn’t be certain that the topic never came up.”

February 9: NBC News reportedTuesday Pence was only informed of the Justice Department’s warning about Flynn 15 days after Trump and others were told.

February 10: An unnamed Trump administration official told the Post Pence either misspoke or was misled by Flynn.
Further, The New York Times reported that transcripts existed of the conversation.
While the alleged content of the conversations was a likely breach of protocol during a presidential transition—and could be a breach of the law—it’s unlikely to lead to any charges against Flynn.

February 13: Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s counselor, said on MSNBC Flynn enjoyed the president’s confidence.
Hours later, Flynn resigned.

https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archiv ... ne/516594/