Pallone: Investigations of Trump Administration Must Include Flynn Actions on Behalf of Turkey

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) called on Special Counsel Robert Mueller and Congressional Committees to investigate Michael Flynn’s actions favoring Turkey as a member of the Trump transition team and as National Security Adviser. Flynn has received more than $500,000 for lobbying for Turkish individuals linked to the Erdoğan regime and failed to disclose these payments, as is required by law.

Recent news reports allege that Flynn asked the Obama administration to delay the Pentagon’s plan to retake the Islamic State’s stronghold of Raqqa with Kurdish forces. Turkey has long been opposed to the United States partnering with Syrian Kurds.

“Given President Erdoğan’s egregious human rights record, exemplified by the recent brutality at the Turkish Embassy, it is disturbing that Michael Flynn lobbied on behalf of Turkish citizens linked to the Erdoğan regime,” said Pallone. “It is even more troublesome that he failed to disclose his actions and that he may have compromised our efforts to defeat ISIS in order to please his former client. With Mr. Flynn’s willingness to conceal relationships with foreign powers, we must investigate if there are other interactions that have yet to be revealed.

“It must also be asked how the Trump administration could possibly ignore the fact that Mr. Flynn was under investigation, when they were repeatedly warned that he was under investigation – including by Flynn himself. There is no more serious crime then when a public servant puts another nation’s interests above the United States’ and I will work to ensure that the numerous ongoing investigations into the Trump administration pursue Michael Flynn’s potentially treasonous relationship with Turkey.”