President Donald Trump issued a Monday morning tweet regarding his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, slamming the media and emphasizing that it was the administration of former President Barack Obama that originally gave the former general security clearance.
"General Flynn was given the highest security clearance by the Obama Administration - but the Fake News seldom likes talking about that," Trump tweeted.
That tweet was followed shortly thereafter by another on Monday about former deputy Attorney General Sally Yates' upcoming testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday, saying "Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how classified information got into the newspapers soon after she explained it to W.H. Council."
Trump reissued that second tweet three hours later, correcting the spelling of "Council" to "Counsel."
Yates and former Director of National Security James Clapper are slated to testify before lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday. In her testimony, Yates, will offer the first public account of Flynn's Russia contacts.
The White House has come under fire over speculation that Flynn's involvement with Russians was indicative of a larger entanglement by Trump officials with Russia. This has led to questions over the vetting process the president used in appointing officials within his administration. The president has repeatedly denied knowledge of any direct collusion between his administration and Russian officials.
"Just remember, (Flynn) was approved by the Obama administration at the highest level," Trump told Fox News on Friday. "And, when they say we didn't vet, well Obama, I guess, didn't vet, because he was approved at the highest level of security by the Obama administration."
Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general resigned his position in February amid concerns he misled the White House concerning conversations he had with Russian officials before Trump took office. And, in March, further questions were raised after amended financial documents revealed payments totaling $50,000 made to him by Russia's state-backed news agency RT and two Russian firms.
Flynn was also director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
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