Newly released documents reveal that the FBI was ready to close its investigation of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn on January 4, 2017 — roughly three weeks before agents interviewed him at the White House.
Minutes after the documents circulated within the agency, Peter Strzok — the former head of the FBI’s counterintelligence department — ordered that the case not be closed.
Several pages of FBI documents unsealed by a federal court on Thursday show that the FBI was ready to conclude the investigation, dubbed “Crossfire Razor” on January 4, but that it stayed open.
“Hey if you havnt closed RAZOR, don’t do so yet [sic],” Strzok said in a message to the case manager.
Strzok added that the FBI’s senior leadership was involved in the case and trying to decide what to do “with him [with respect to] the [REDACTED].”
According to the documents, the FBI was probing whether Flynn was “directed and controlled” by Russian officials. However, the documents show that agents were unable to find “derogatory” information.
“The absence of any derogatory information or lead information from these logical sources reduced the number of investigative avenues and techniques to pursue. Per the direction of FBI management, CROSSFIRE RAZOR was not interviewed as part of the case closing procedure,” the document read.
“The FBI is closing this investigation. If new information is identified or reported to the FBI regarding the activities of CROSSFIRE RAZOR, the FBI will consider reopening the investigation if warranted,” it continued.
Check out the documents below:
JUST IN: New FLYNN documents show the FBI had drafted a document to formally close the case against him on 1/4.
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) April 30, 2020
But 20 minutes after it circulated, STRZOK and other agents put the brakes on it. pic.twitter.com/sLhMBTzGEr
The document shows the FBI repeatedly turned to other agencies/sources for any info on Flynn's activities that might show "derogatory" info re: connections to Russia. They came up empty but for what a source described as a questionable cab/train ride. pic.twitter.com/BIka8bQOIO
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) April 30, 2020
Politico’s Kyle Cheney notes that the FBI said it had not found “derogatory” information, or connections to Russia, at the time the document was drafted. However, it was written six days after Flynn’s December 29 phone call with the Russian ambassador, and it is unclear how long it took the FBI to discover the phone call.
Additionally, the documents show that the FBI reached out to other agencies for information on Flynn, which were unable to provide such information. Although, a Confidential Human Source (CHS) reportedly told the FBI that Flynn got drinks and shared a cab and train ride with someone whose father “may be a Russian Oligarch.”
The new documents come after pages of documents related to the FBI’s handling of the Flynn case were released on Wednesday.
Those documents contained a handwritten note that mulled whether FBI agents should try to get Flynn to lie to agents during the January 24, 2017 interview so that “we can prosecute him or get him fired.”
Those documents also appear to show that the agents discussed trying to get Flynn to “admit to breaking the Logan Act” when he spoke to the Russian ambassador in December, 2016.
Flynn pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI but has sought to retract his plea, citing “egregious” conduct by the FBI.
