So Eric Swalwell got what he wanted, the Senate released transcripts of calls between Mike Flynn and Russian Ambassador Kislyak, and it’s not quite what he expected:
Eric Swalwell dared @RichardGrenell to release the Flynn transcripts.
And so he did (via DNI Ratcliffe).
We now see that Flynn was holding conversations w/ a Russian emissary exactly as we’d expect for his role.
That makes Eric Swalwell the dumbest man in America. https://t.co/Al9b2ueNSK
— BDW (@BryanDeanWright) May 29, 2020
Here’s part of what was released:
The transcripts released included the call between Flynn and Ambassador Sergei Kislyak on December 29, 2016, that had supposedly prompted the FBI to keep its investigation of Flynn as a potential Russian agent from shutting down.
The transcript showed that Flynn had asked Kislyak to respond to sanctions from the Obama administration in a “reciprocal” manner.
“But what I would ask Russia to do is to not — is — if anything, because I know you have to have some sort of action — to, to only make it reciprocal. Make it reciprocal. Don’t — don’t make it — don’t go any further than you have to. Because I don’t want us to get into something that has to escalate, on a, you know, on a tit for tat,” Flynn told Kislyak.
He also said, “And please make sure that its uh — the idea is, be — if you, if you have to do something, do something on a reciprocal basis, meaning you know, on a sort of even basis.”
Doesn’t sound terribly nefarious does it? This is the info that Grenell and Swalwell were fighting over in their fancy twitter fued. Here’s what Grassley said about the release:
“It’s a shame it’s taken nearly three and a half years for everyone to see the underlying evidence against Flynn that Rosenstein and the Mueller team went to great lengths to keep hidden. Our justice system doesn’t work when one side holds all the cards. But this isn’t just about safeguarding access to justice; it’s also about exposing shenanigans and abuses of power by those entrusted to uphold and defend the law,” he said.
“After all the screw-ups and malicious behavior by FBI and DOJ officials during the Russia investigation, we simply cannot take them at their word anymore. We need oversight and transparency to sort out this mess. I’m grateful that former acting DNI chief Grenell took the important steps of properly declassifying this material and letting some sunlight in. Transparency brings accountability. Keep it coming.”
Yeah except, the left is claiming the transcripts PROVE he was a bad actor:
The just-released Flynn-Kislyak transcripts show Trump’s incoming national sec. adviser speaking repeatedly to the Russian ambassador, buddying up to him, & NOT ONCE saying anything about Putin’s attack on the 2016 election. A stunning betrayal of the USA.https://t.co/ArXBuRqGGd
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) May 29, 2020
Here’s what the Flynn transcripts show:
Gen. Flynn secretly discussed the U.S. response to Russia’s brazen election interference, and lied about it to the FBI and Vice President.
No wonder Trump and his allies are trying to re-write history,
Because the facts are so damning. pic.twitter.com/eNZMFlDSSa
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) May 29, 2020
These transcripts CONFIRM pretty much everything Mueller accused Flynn of doing, and they DEBUNK much of what Trump has said about Flynn. The transcripts corroborate Flynn’s guilty plea and further prove that he lied to the FBI about his Russian calls. https://t.co/amOEtAPrDR
— Marshall Cohen (@MarshallCohen) May 29, 2020
Oh ok. Dang. These docs are busy proving everything for everyone.
Here are the documents released:
Interesting.