TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT

Democrats Pentagon Mike Flynn Ties to Russia Today

May have violated the constitution, they allege.

Top Democrats have called for a Pentagon probe into the relationship between retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn, President Trump’s top national security adviser, and Kremlin-funded television network Russia Today. Lawmakers contend, in a letter sent to Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, that Flynn may have violated the Constitution by accepting money from the network. The memo notes that Flynn was paid to speak at a gala in Moscow celebrating the network’s tenth anniversary—which he has readily admitted—and that he reportedly dined next to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the event. These examples may represent cases in which Flynn violated the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution. It prohibits anyone holding an office “of profit or trust” from accepting payments from a foreign country. “The Department of Defense has made clear that this restriction applies to retired military officers because they continue to hold offices of trust,” according to the letter.