Sources have stated that President Donald Trump pressured a “reluctant” Michael Flynn into accepting a job as the White House’s top national security official even after Flynn warned the president that he was under investigation over undisclosed lobbying on behalf of a foreign government, and the president’s continued loyalty to his ousted former aide is so strong, in fact, that the two have remained in touch despite the potential that their communication could be portrayed as White House interference in a federal investigation.
Currently both men could pay a huge price for it. Flynn was “reluctant but honored” when offered the post, according to a senior Trump administration official, and only accepted it at the president’s urging.
Meanwhile a third source with direct knowledge of Trump transition
team discussions confirmed that Flynn did not want the national security
adviser post, though he claimed Flynn was instead hoping for a position in the
intelligence community, preferably director of national intelligence or the
director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Trump’s pressuring of Flynn to take the job came even though Flynn had informed the Trump transition team that he was under active FBI investigation over undisclosed lobbying on behalf of a Dutch company lobbying that, Flynn now admits, may have advanced the interests of the Turkish government. Further one former FBI official and a second government official said Trump thought he owed Flynn for how things ended up and was determined to clear Flynn’s name and bring him back to the White House.
