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Donald Trump and his allies raised $250 million for a nonexistent Official Election Protection Fund after the 2020 presidential election, however as a substitute the cash went to his newly created Save America PAC. That PAC distributed thousands and thousands of {dollars} to pro-Trump organizations, together with his personal resort properties and the corporate that produced the Ellipse rally exterior the White Home that preceded the assault on the Capitol.
On the final day of his presidency, Trump pardoned former White Home chief strategist Steve Bannon after he was charged by federal prosecutors for allegedly defrauding donors to his We Construct the Wall Inc., which claimed to be elevating cash to construct a barrier alongside the border with Mexico. Bannon was indicted by Manhattan District Legal professional Alvin Bragg on state prices for allegedly siphoning off cash from the fund for his personal private use.
And that brings us to former Trump aide and disgraced retired Gen. Michael Flynn. He had his personal authorized protection fund arrange in September 2017, which was administered by relations. On the time, Flynn was below investigation as a part of particular counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference within the 2016 presidential election.
On Monday, Semafor reported that Flynn and his household stored leftover donations to his authorized protection fund:
Members of former Trump aide Michael Flynn’s household pocketed a whole lot of 1000’s of {dollars} in leftover cash from a authorized protection fund that was arrange for the retired common as he confronted a federal investigation over the 2016 election, Flynn’s sister testified in a defamation case involving CNN.
Flynn, Trump’s former nationwide safety advisor, additionally sat for a sworn deposition within the case, through which his spouse and sister-in-law are accusing CNN of defaming them by associating them with the QAnon conspiracy idea, newly filed paperwork present. Flynn’s deposition is sealed.
In a submitting made public Thursday, CNN requested a federal choose in Florida to dismiss the go well with earlier than going to trial. The movement argues the household was related to QAnon, “exploited” Michael Flynn’s ties to the motion, and fundraised off of its supporters.
In 2020, Flynn posted a 53-second video exhibiting him and members of his household at a Fourth of July barbecue reciting the identical oath of workplace taken by members of Congress, however after ending the generic oath, Flynn added, “The place we go one, we go all”—a slogan related to the QAnon motion. His submit had the QAnon-linked hashtag #TakeTheOath.
In 2021, CNN ran a report on a QAnon-related convention that used the chyron: “CNN goes inside a gathering of QAnon followers.” It talked about that Flynn was amongst these propagating the “The place we go one, we go all” slogan and included a two-second clip (on the 58-second mark) from Flynn’s submit of the July 4th barbecue oath-taking.
In early 2022, Flynn’s spouse, Lori Flynn, and sister-in-law Valerie Flynn filed a defamation lawsuit in Florida towards CNN based mostly on the 2021 report in regards to the assembly of QAnon followers, Semafor reported. They every sought $100 million in damages for being proven within the report and claimed they aren’t, the truth is, QAnon followers.
Flynn’s brother Jack and sister-in-law Leslie have filed a separate defamation lawsuit towards CNN searching for $75 million in damages that’s now pending earlier than a federal courtroom in New York.
Within the lawsuit, Valerie Flynn argued that the CNN report “conveyed the message that Valerie pledged her allegiance to QAnon, and says it hyperlinks the Flynn household to a ‘violent extremist group,’” Semafor reported.
“In early February 2021, this was a really damaging accusation. It was like calling somebody a ‘communist’ within the Fifties or a Nazi sympathizer within the Forties,” the go well with states.
CNN’s submitting in response to the lawsuit identified that its report on “QAnon followers” by no means names Lori or Valerie Flynn, and solely briefly touches on Michael’s Flynn’s connection to the motion. Semafor wrote:
The submitting argues, although, that the household was nonetheless related to QAnon as a result of they “relentlessly fundraised … from the QAnon neighborhood” to help Flynn’s authorized protection fund from 2018 to 2021.
In keeping with the movement, Flynn’s sister Barbara Flynn Redgate, who was the trustee for the protection fund, testified that she “didn’t thoughts taking cash from individuals who [used QAnon] hashtags” so long as they have been “directing [people] to the authorized protection fund.”
After paying Flynn’s legal professionals with the authorized protection fund cash, Barbara testified that she was paid about $265,000, and Michael Flynn was then paid “no matter was [leftover] within the account.” She mentioned that was greater than $250,000 however lower than $1 million.
CNN declined to remark to Semafor. Jared Roberts, an legal professional representing the Flynns, instructed Semafor on Monday that CNN “has resorted to inappropriate mischaracterization of deposition testimony and the info.” He mentioned his aspect will make its response in a transient to the courtroom.
Michael Flynn served briefly as Trump’s nationwide safety adviser in the beginning of his time period, however resigned following experiences that he had misled White Home officers about conversations he had with Sergey Kislyak, Russia’s ambassador to america, throughout the transition interval after the 2016 presidential election.
Flynn figured prominently in particular counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference within the 2016 presidential election on behalf of Trump. He pleaded responsible to mendacity to the FBI. He later modified his legal professional to Sidney Powell. Legal professional Normal William Barr’s Division of Justice moved to dismiss the case in Might 2020 earlier than Flynn was sentenced. Trump pardoned Flynn in December 2020.
And what does Flynn actually take into consideration QAnon? The Guardian wrote:
Michael Flynn … seems to have known as QAnon “complete nonsense” and a “disinformation marketing campaign” created by the CIA and the political left – regardless of his personal in depth hyperlinks to the conspiracy idea and seeming eagerness to function its hero.
Flynn’s obvious assertion was revealed by Lin Wooden, a pro-Trump legal professional and QAnon supporter as soon as allied with the disgraced former common.
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