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The Flynn-Kislyak leak led to [[Vice President Mike Pence]] being hammered on January 15th, 2017, during a [[CBS]] [[Face the Nation]] interview about Trump campaign officials in contact with Russians.  Pence was unprepared to answer the questions and conflated a question about contact with Russians during the election, with Flynn’s contact with Kislyak in the transition period:

The Flynn-Kislyak leak led to [[Vice President Mike Pence]] being hammered on January 15th, 2017, during a [[CBS]] [[Face the Nation]] interview about Trump campaign officials in contact with Russians.  Pence was unprepared to answer the questions and conflated a question about contact with Russians during the election, with Flynn’s contact with Kislyak in the transition period:

{{quotebox|'''CBS John Dickerson:''' Just to button up one question, did any advisor or anybody in the Trump campaign have any contact with the Russians who were trying to meddle in the election?<br><br>'''Mike Pence:''' Of course not. And I think to suggest that is to give credence to some of these bizarre rumors that have swirled around the candidacy.<ref>https://www.cbsnews.com/news/face-the-nation-transcript-january-15-2017-pence-manchin-gingrich/</ref>}}

{{quotebox|'''CBS John Dickerson:''' Just to button up one question, did any advisor or anybody in the Trump campaign have any contact with the Russians who were trying to meddle in the election?<br><br>'''Mike Pence:''' Of course not. And I think to suggest that is to give credence to some of these bizarre rumors that have swirled around the candidacy.<ref>https://www.cbsnews.com/news/face-the-nation-transcript-january-15-2017-pence-manchin-gingrich/</ref>}}

This answer allowed the fake news media to blend questions about pre-election campaign contacts with necessary, and entirely appropriate, transition team contacts.  The toxic media environment now became a much bigger issue.  The FBI was prepared to pounce.  Once Vice President Pence made the statement that Flynn had no contact with anyone from Russia, any contradictory statement from Flynn would make Pence appear compromised.  Flynn was interviewed by the FBI on January 24th, nine days after Pence made his comments.

This answer allowed the fake news media to blend questions about pre-election campaign contacts with necessary, and entirely appropriate, transition team contacts.  Once Vice President Pence made the statement that Flynn had no contact with anyone from Russia, any contradictory statement from Flynn would make Pence appear compromised.  The toxic media environment now became a much bigger issue.  The FBI was prepared to pounce.

 

Flynn was interviewed by the FBI on January 24th, nine days after Pence made his comments.

==See also==

==See also==