Can't post with the article title in subject so here

Trump Tries to Deflect Flynn Vetting Questions on Obama Administration

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-tries-deflect-flynn-vetting-questions-obama-administration-n752786

>President Donald Trump in an interview Friday tried to turn some of the controversy around his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, on the administration of President Barack Obama, saying the retired general was previously vetted.

>"When they say we didn't vet, well, Obama I guess didn't vet, because he was approved at the highest level of security by the Obama administration," Trump said in an interview with Fox News' Martha MacCallum.

>"So when he came into our administration for a short period of time, he came in, he was already approved by the Obama administration and he had years left on that approval," Trump said.

>Flynn was director of the Defense Intelligence Agency from 2012 to 2014, before being pushed out and retiring from the Army with the rank of lieutenant general.

>Flynn is under fire for receiving nearly $34,000 in December 2015 for speaking at a gala celebrating Russian TV, and more than $500,000 for lobbying work on behalf of the Turkish government in 2016, after he left the Obama administration.

>The Pentagon is investigating whether Flynn broke the law for the payments, Democratic lawmakers said Thursday.

>A Defense Intelligence Agency letter released by Rep. Elijah Cummings which was sent in 2014 when Flynn retired specifically says Flynn cannot accept fees and gifts from foreign governments "unless congressional consent is first obtained."

>A second letter released by Cummings shows the Inspector General of the Department of Defense is investigating whether Flynn received proper permission to take the funds. A Defense Department spokesman confirmed the Flynn probe opened April 4.