Investigations into President Donald Trump’s ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn have intensified after a Pentagon watchdog joined congressmen in probing payments he accepted from foreign sources, including a Russian state-sponsored TV network.

At the same time, documents released by a senior Democrat on a House oversight committee showed Mr Flynn was warned by authorities after he retired from the military in 2014 not to take foreign government-sourced money without “advance approval” from the Pentagon.

Mr Flynn, a former Army lieutenant-general and Defence Intelligence Agency chief, later accepted tens of thousands of dollars for his work on behalf of foreign interests, including Russia Today (RT), the state-supported Russian television network.

The Pentagon’s acting inspector-general’s office confirmed he had launched an inquiry into whether those payments qualified as coming from foreign governments and whether Mr Flynn properly informed military authorities about them.

The White House defended its hiring of Mr Flynn and attempted to shift blame for any problems with his vetting onto the Obama administration, which handled the reissuance of his security clearance in January 2016.

Democratic representative Elijah Cummings, who released the documents, said during a news conference that Mr Flynn had been clearly informed he needed to get permission to receive foreign payments and that there is no evidence he did so.

“The Pentagon’s warning to General Flynn was bold, italicised and could not have been clearer,” Mr Cummings said.

In a key 2014 document, Mr Flynn was told by a Defence Intelligence Agency official that the US Constitution’s emoluments provision prohibits any monetary payments or gifts “from a foreign government unless congressional consent is first obtained”.

The October 8, 2014 letter — which was sent to Mr Flynn at his request — explained that such “advance approval” would need to come “from the relevant service secretary”.

Earlier this week, Mr Cummings and Republican representative Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House committee, said that they had found no evidence Mr Flynn asked the Army for permission to receive foreign payments or informed the military he had accepted them.

Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said the Army had no records that Mr Flynn requested that permission.

One episode in question involves a trip he took to Moscow in 2015 for RT’s anniversary celebration where Mr Flynn was paid at least $US33,750 ($45,210) to attend the gala at which he was seated next to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“General Flynn’s attorney says he discussed his trip to Moscow with DIA, but we have no evidence, not a shred, that he disclosed his payments,” Mr Cummings said.

In a statement, Mr Flynn’s attorney Robert Kelner said the Defence Department “was fully aware of the trip”, citing his previous statements that his client briefed DIA officials before and after the RT trip.

Did Flynn go rogue?


Michael Flynn’s resignation from national security post has the potential to threaten careers all the way to the top.

Mr Kelner also pointed to a letter, released in redacted form by Mr Cummings, that notes that Mr Flynn provided a thumb drive to the agency containing documents detailing the RT event, including that Leading Authorities, a speakers bureau that handled Mr Flynn’s paid speeches, was handling the event for him.

Mr Kelner’s statement did not address other payments Mr Flynn received from foreign sources.

On Thursday, Mr Chaffetz, chairman of the oversight committee, said that Mr Flynn “had an obligation to seek approval to take money from a foreign government … we found no evidence that he did that”.

Mr Chaffetz’s office released a letter he sent on Thursday to the Army, asking the service’s acting secretary to make a final determination as to whether Mr Flynn violated federal law by accepting the payments, and if so, to start the process of recovering that money.