Major media narrative on Flynn, Russia ties sinks as facts come to light

by WorldTribune Staff, February 17, 2017

The major media’s narrative of inappropriate, even treasonous, ties between ousted National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and Russia is receding as the facts begin to emerge.

CNN reported that the FBI will not be pursuing any criminal investigation involving Flynn’s phone call with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S.

Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. /AP

“The biggest story is that CNN is reporting not only that the FBI will decline to further investigate or prosecute the short-lived national security adviser, but that Flynn’s FBI interview is being described as ‘cooperative and truthful,’ ” Patrick Poole wrote for PJ Media.

Also collapsing is the sensationalist notion “that the Trump campaign was riddled with contacts with Russian intelligence,” as reported by The New York Times.

The major media “chose to spin the NYT report as definitive proof that Trump was involved in ‘hacking the election.’ ” Poole wrote. “Of course, the NYT report said … the precise opposite”:

“American law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee, three of the officials said,” according to the Times report. “The intelligence agencies then sought to learn whether the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election.

“The officials interviewed in recent weeks said that, so far, they had seen no evidence of such cooperation.”

An article by Adam Kredo of the Washington Free Beacon suggested that the “hit job on Flynn was driven by former Obama officials concerned about protecting secrets of the disastrous Iran deal.”

A source who serves as a congressional adviser and was involved in the 2015 fight over the Iran deal told the Free Beacon that the Obama administration “feared that Flynn would expose the secret agreements with Iran,” the Beacon report said.

“The Obama administration knew that Flynn was going to release the secret documents around the Iran deal, which would blow up their myth that it was a good deal that rolled back Iran,” the source said. “So in December the Obama NSC started going to work with their favorite reporters, selectively leaking damaging and incomplete information about Flynn.

“After Trump was inaugurated some of those people stayed in and some began working from the outside, and they cooperated to keep undermining Trump,” the source said, detailing a series of leaks from within the White House in the past weeks targeting Flynn. “Last night’s resignation was their first major win, but unless the Trump people get serious about cleaning house, it won’t be the last.”

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