Billedet: Nummer 2 i FBI, Andrew McCabe, kan have sat i gang efterforskningen af Michael Flynn som hævn for at Flynn intervenerede på vegne af en FBI-agent som følte sig diskrimineret.

Michael Flynn kan have pådraget sig FBIs vrede, fordi han som leder af den militære efterretningstjeneste intervenerede på vegne af en kvindelig FBI-agent, som fik sin karriere bremset af Andrew McCabe, som steg til tops i FBI.

To år senere indledte FBI en efterforskning av Flynn, og flere tror, at det kan have været et «tak for sidst».

The FBI launched a criminal probe against former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn two years after the retired Army general roiled the bureau’s leadership by intervening on behalf of a decorated counterterrorism agent who accused now-Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe and other top officials of sexual discrimination, according to documents and interviews.

Flynn’s intervention on behalf of Supervisory Special Agent Robyn Gritz was highly unusual, and included a letter in 2014 on his official Pentagon stationary, a public interview in 2015 supporting Gritz’s case and an offer to testify on her behalf. His offer put him as a hostile witness in a case against McCabe, who was soaring through the bureau’s leadership ranks.

Set på afstand kan det virke som om, det er Trump-teamet, der bløder pga. af mistænkeliggørelsen. Men efterhånden som journalister begynder at grave sig ned i sagen, er det andre skeletter, der vælter ud af skabet.

Magtkampe og rivalisering og hævn er ingen nyhed i og mellem de offentlige organisationer. Men hvis McCabe er faldet for fristelsen til at hævne sig på Flynn efter at han blev udpeget til national sikkerhedsrådgiver, kan have gabt over for meget

The FBI sought to block Flynn’s support for the agent, asking a federal administrative law judge in May 2014 to keep Flynn and others from becoming a witness in her Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) case, memos obtained by Circa show. Two years later, the FBI opened its inquiry of Flynn.

Journalisterne i Circa.com bruger teske, når de gennemgår stoffet. FBI-agenter fortæller, at der var udbredt utilfredshed med, at nogen i systemet lækkede samtalen mellem Flynn og den russiske ambassadør.

The FBI sought to block Flynn’s support for the agent, asking a federal administrative law judge in May 2014 to keep Flynn and others from becoming a witness in her Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) case, memos obtained by Circa show. Two years later, the FBI opened its inquiry of Flynn.

Det agenterne fortæller er, at nogen i ledelsen ikke brød sig om Flynn, og de var ikke glade for, at FBI blev et politisk instrument.

The bureau employees, who spoke only on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said they did not know the reason for McCabe’s displeasure with Flynn, but that it made them uncomfortable as the Russia probe began to unfold and pressure built to investigate Flynn. One employee even consulted a private lawyer.

“As far as the troops in the field, the vast-majority were disgusted with the Russia decision, but that was McCabe driving the result that eventually led [former FBI Director James] Comey to make the decision,” said a senior federal law enforcement official, with direct knowledge of the investigation.

Hvis det kan dokumenteres, at FBI blev forvandlet til et politisk våben mod den nye administration, kan der blive stillet mange ubehagelige spørgsmål, som McCabe og hans folk skal svare på.

Hvis russersporet løber ud i sandet, kan opmærksomheden blive rettet mod dem, som står bag lækket. Hvad var formålet? Hvem lækkede? Var det virkelig FBI-ledelsen? Hoveder kan komme til at rulle:

FBI agents’ concerns became more pronounced when a highly-classified piece of evidence — an intercepted conversation between Flynn and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak — suddenly leaked to the news media and prompted Flynn’s resignation as Trump’s top security adviser.

“The Flynn leaks were nothing short of political,” one FBI employee said, noting the specific contents of the conversation were known by only a handful of government officials when they leaked. “The leaks appeared to be targeted to take Flynn out.”

Hvis det kun var en håndfuld skulle det være muligt at finde ud af, hvem der står bag lækket.

Flynn havde også flere jern i ilden, for nu at udtrykke det pænt, for hans lobby-arbejde for Tyrkiet var ikke smart.

FBI-kilder mener, at McCabe må erklære sig inhabil i Flynn-sagen.

 

http://circa.com/politics/accountability/did-the-fbi-retaliate-against-michael-flynn-by-launching-russia-probe