Department Of Defense Seeks $38,000 From Michael Flynn For Russian Trip

The Department of Defense is seeking thousands of dollars from former national security advisor Michael Flynn under President Donald Trump after he failed to disclose payments from foreign business dealings.

Flynn was alerted in a letter from the U.S. Army dated May 2 that he owed $38,557.06 after receiving around $450,000 from Turkish and Russian entities in 2015 without asking for or receiving approval from the U.S. government. The amount owed is the sum Flynn received for attending a gala dinner celebrating the anniversary of RT, a Russian-run news organization. The letter did not specify an intent to recoup the additional amount that Flynn was paid, and it is unclear why that is.

The investigation found that the former Trump adviser was in violation of the emoluments clause in the Constitution, which states that any former member of the military must obtain authorization to accept money from foreign entities. If they don’t get approval, the money is considered “received by the retired member for the United States,” according to acting Defense Department inspector general Sean O’Donnell.

Flynn was Trump’s national security adviser for just three weeks before stepping down after the Justice Department opened an investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. He was pardoned by Trump in November 2020 after admitting to lying to the FBI about contact with Russian officials.