Sessions said the government might not have noticed Flynn's foreign government dealings because vetting is hard
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Friday suggested it's reasonable to believe the government's vetting of ousted National Security Adviser Michael Flynn simply didn't catch the fact that he'd made tens of thousands of dollars off his work for foreign governments. Sessions said in a series of television interviews on Today and Good Morning America that he's confident Trump's transition team, which was tasked with vetting Flynn, is doing "the best they can." "We need to do a good job of vetting that," Sessions said, but paid foreign government work is "a complex issue, and I'm not sure anyone could be expected to find that."
The heads of the House Oversight Committee revealed this week that Flynn may have broken the law by failing to inform the U.S. government of his work or disclose his payments. Flynn made an estimated $56,200 in 2015 from three firms with ties to the Russian government. His lobbying company also reportedly made more than $500,000 for its work on behalf of the Turkish government.
Flynn served as Trump's national security adviser for just 24 days before stepping down, after it was revealed he'd misled Vice President Mike Pence about his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. After he was forced to resign, Flynn registered as a foreign agent, which he'd apparently been advised to do previously.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sessions noted Friday that he is not involved in investigating Flynn. He said he's certain the Justice Department will "do their responsibility, whatever that is." Catch a snippet of Sessions' Good Morning America interview below. Becca Stanek
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast: a ‘highly entertaining ride’The Week Recommends Mystery-comedy from the creator of Derry Girls should be ‘your new binge-watch’
-
The 8 best TV shows of the 1960sThe standout shows of this decade take viewers from outer space to the Wild West
-
Microdramas are boomingUnder the radar Scroll to watch a whole movie
-
Judge orders Washington slavery exhibit restoredSpeed Read The Trump administration took down displays about slavery at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia
-
Hyatt chair joins growing list of Epstein files losersSpeed Read Thomas Pritzker stepped down as executive chair of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation over his ties with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
-
El Paso airspace closure tied to FAA-Pentagon standoffSpeed Read The closure in the Texas border city stemmed from disagreements between the Federal Aviation Administration and Pentagon officials over drone-related tests
-
Judge blocks Trump suit for Michigan voter rollsSpeed Read A Trump-appointed federal judge rejected the administration’s demand for voters’ personal data