Following is a timeline of events leading up to yesterday’s resignation or firing of national security adviser Michael Flynn.
A main issue in the timeline is the weeks-long gap between the time Trump’s legal counsel was informed of Flynn’s lies, and the time Flynn was fired, and the question of what Trump administration officials really knew.
The White House appears to have let its repeated false statements about Flynn stand for weeks after that notification from Yates, and has yet to account for what it did with the warning she conveyed. The disclosures about Flynn have added to the swirling suspicion about the Trump administration’s relationship with Moscow — suspicion based in part on Trump’s repeated expressions of admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Washington Post
President Trump was aware that his national security adviser Michael Flynn had misled White House officials and Vice President Pence for "weeks" before he was forced to resign on Monday night.
During a briefing with White House Counsel Don McGahn late last month Trump learned that Flynn had discussed U.S. sanctions with the Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, despite his claims to the contrary. The briefing came "immediately" after McGahn was informed about the discrepancy by the Department of Justice, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday.
Washington Post
The general story says that Flynn resigned or was fired, following last Friday’s Washington Post revelations that Flynn had discussed sanctions with Sergey Kislyak in December. There is a slowly ramping up campaign of leaks by national security officials, though, responding to repeated Trump administration denials.
Yesterday’s Washington Post, that Sally Yates had informed Trump counsel about the discussion of sanctions between Flynn and Kislyak, is perhaps important in leading to Flynn’s final resignation or firing, in causing the crumbling of resistance to it.
Kellyanne Conway had said, Trump has full confidence in Flynn. Shortly later, Sean Spicer said instead that Trump is evaluating the situation. According to an administration official quoted by CNN, new information came to light between Conway's comments and the Spicer statement. This new information could very well have been Washington Post reporters calling for comments about the news they would be breaking that night. And the new information in the Post story could very well have come about from current and former national security officials applying additional pressure, after the Trump administration has stonewalled the story for the weekend.
2013
Mike Flynn, then director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, first meets Russian ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak, on a trip to Moscow.
2015
December 10
Mike Flynn attends a gala dinner in Moscow for RT, and is seated next to Vladimir Putin. (Politico)
2016
February
Mike Flynn begins working as an adviser for the Trump campaign. (CNN)
July 5
Mike Flynn is floated as a potential vice presidential candidate for Trump. (NY Post, WaPo)
July 15
Donald Trump announces Mike Pence as his vice presidential candidate, via twitter.
July 18
Mike Flynn delivers a demagogic speech at the Republican National Convention, inciting the crowd to “lock her up” chants about Hillary Clinton.
August 29
Senate minority leader Harry Reid publicly releases a letter to FBI director Jim Comey, expressing concern that Russia was trying to influence the presidential election, and requesting that the FBI open an investigation.
Mid-September
According to the Steele opposition research dossier, Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, fearing of negative impact, is on the side of caution about Russian interference efforts in the election.
September 23
Mike Isikoff at Yahoo reports that intelligence officials are looking into ties between Carter Page and Russian officials, including talks about the lifting of economic sanctions if the Trump becomes president.
October 7
The Department of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence release a joint statement on Russian government hacking of US political organizations, saying that the thefts and disclosures were intended to interfere with the US election process.
October 28
FBI director Jim Comey publicly releases a letter to Congress, saying that new emails had surfaced in a case unrelated to the closed investigation into whether Hillary Clinton or her aides had mishandled classified information, and that the messages appear to be pertinent to the investigation.
October 30
Senate minority leader Harry Reid publicly releases a letter to Jim Comey, saying it has become clear that Comey possesses explosive information about ties between Donald Trump, his top advisors, and the Russian government, and that Comey should inform the public of the information.
October 31
David Corn at Mother Jones reports on allegations in the Steele opposition research dossier, including that Russian intelligence has compromising information on Trump, and that the Russian regime has been cultivating Trump for at least 5 years.
NBC reports that the FBI has been conducting a preliminary inquiry into Paul Manafort's foreign business connections.
Before November 8
U.S. intelligence reports show that Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak was in touch with Flynn before the election. Kislyak acknowledges these contacts. (WaPo)
November 8
Donald Trump is elected president of the United States.
Mike Flynn publishes an op-ed in the Hill, promoting Turkish interests.
AFTER November 8
After the election, conversations between Flynn and Kislyak accelerate. The two discuss establishing a back channel for communications between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, bypassing the U.S. national security bureaucracy. (Reuters)
November 10
During a 90-minute meeting in the Oval Office, Barack Obama warns Donald Trump not to select Mike Flynn as his national security adviser. (NBC)
November 11
The Daily Caller reports on Flynn’s undisclosed lobbyist work for an ally of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
November 18
Donald Trump selects Mike Flynn as his national security adviser.
John McCain learns of the Steele opposition research dossier, and arranges to obtain the documents. (Guardian)
Late NoVEMBER
At a national security transition team meeting, Mike Flynn says he has scheduled a conversation with Sergey Kislyak. Transition team leader Marshall Billingslea reminds Flynn that his conversations with Kislyak would likely be monitored by U.S. intelligence. Jared Kushner is at this meeting. (WaPo)
November 30
The Department of Justice informs Mike Flynn that it is scrutinizing his lobbying work. (NYT)
December 1 Or 2
Mike Flynn and Jared Kushner meet with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak at Trump Tower. (New Yorker, NYT, WaPo)
Kushner proposes setting up a secure communications channel between Trump’s transition team and the Kremlin, using Russian diplomatic facilities. (WaPo)
December 9
Officials leak to the Washington Post, that the CIA has concluded that Russia intended to help Donald Trump win the presidency, rather than just undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral system.
Senator John McCain gives a copy of the Steele opposition research dossier on Trump to FBI director Jim Comey. (CNN)
ABout December 19
Mike Flynn expresses condolences to Sergey Kislyak over the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey. (WaPo)
December 25
Mike Flynn contacts Sergey Kislyak to wish him a Merry Christmas. (CBS, WaPo)
December 27
The Washington Post and other papers report that the Obama administration is close to announcing sanctions on Russia.
December 28
In late afternoon, news sources report that president Barack Obama will announce sanctions against Russia on the following day. (CBS, Fortune)
A spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry promises retaliation for any sanctions. (Fortune)
Sergey Kislyak sends a text message to Flynn, and Flynn will return the call the next day. (WaPo)
DECEMBER 29
Sergey Kislyak is summoned to the State Department and informed that, in retaliation for Russian election meddling, the United States will be expelling 35 Russian officials. Kislyak is irate and threatens a forceful Russia response. After leaving the meeting, Kislyak calls Flynn. (NYT)
President Barack Obama publicly announces the expulsions and other measures in retaliation for the hacking.
Mike Flynn has five phone calls with Sergey Kislyak this day. (Reuters) Sanctions are a main topic of call or calls. Flynn urges Russia not to overreact to the sanctions, making clear that the two sides would be in position to review the matter after Trump was sworn in. Kislyak is left with the impression that the sanctions would be revisited at a later time, but transcripts show no evidence that Flynn intends to make an explicit promise. (WaPo, WaPo, WaPo, WSJ)
DECEMBER 30
Russian President Vladimir Putin announces Russia will not retaliate for the sanctions. Donald Trump praises the decision on Twitter.
Officials are suspicious that Moscow has been promised a reprieve. (WaPo)
Intelligence analysts, seeking clues to why Russia has not retaliated, will turn up the phone call between Mike Flynn and Sergey Kislyak. (WaPo)
2017
January 2
Administration officials learn that Kislyak and Flynn talked multiple times around December 29. (NYT)
JANUARY 3
Attorney general Loretta Lynch signs procedures permitting the NSA to share data with the 16 other intelligence agencies. This gives the CIA direct access to NSA data, including on Americans. (emptywheel)
January 4
Mike Flynn tells Trump transition team lawyer Don McGahn that he was under federal investigation for his unreported work as a paid lobbyist for Turkey during the campaign. (NYT)
At around this time, the FBI begins investigating Flynn for his contacts with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. (NYT)
January 6
Donald Trump, president Barack Obama, and the Congressional Gang of Eight are briefed on information contained in the Steele opposition research dossier, which says that Russia has compromising information on Trump. Intelligence chiefs take this step partly to make sure Trump knows the allegations are circulating in Washington. (CNN)
January 10
CNN publicly reports that Donald Trump has been briefed on information contained in the Steele opposition research dossier on him.
Buzzfeed publishes the documents.
January 11
President Donald Trump issues an early-morning twitter rant to combat the story. He equates the intelligence services with Nazi Germany.
At a press conference, Trump attacks the media and the intelligence services. He acknowledges that Russia is probably behind the email thefts, and denies that any of his staff had contacts with Russia before the election.
January 12
In an opinion piece, David Ignatius reveals information leaked to him, that Mike Flynn had phoned Sergey Kislyak several times on December 29.
January 13
After the Ignatius piece, a Trump transition team official claims to the Washington Post, “during his call, sanctions were not discussed whatsoever.” (WaPo)
Trump press secretary Sean Spicer claims the call was centered on the logistics of setting up a post-inauguration call between Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin. (WaPo)
AP, CBS, Reuters, and WSJ report details.
Late in the day, the Senate Intelligence Committee announces that as part of a broader investigation into Moscow's meddling in the 2016 presidential election, it will investigate possible contacts between Russia and U.S. persons.
January 15
On Face the Nation, vice president Mike Pence says that Mike Flynn and Sergey Kislyak “did not discuss anything having to do with the United States’ decision to expel diplomats or impose censure against Russia.” Pence says that to suggest otherwise is “to give credence to some of these bizarre rumors that have swirled around the candidacy.” (CBS)
Intelligence officials worry that Russia can exploit the false stories. (WaPo, WaPo)
BEFORE january 20
DNI James Clapper, CIA director John Brennan, and acting attorney general Sally Yates all favor informing the Trump team that Flynn is lying about the conversation. They think that Pence has a right to know that he has been misled, though they do not rule out Flynn was acting with the knowledge of others. FBI director Jim Comey opposes notification, saying it could complicate the FBI investigation. (WaPo)
January 20
Donald Trump is inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States.
January 22
The Wall Street Journal reports that Mike Flynn’s communications with Russian officials have been investigated by U.S. counterintelligence. Washington Post reports the next day, that FBI review of December calls found no evidence of wrongdoing or illicit ties to the Russian government.
January 23
At his first press conference, press secretary Sean Spicer says that Flynn assured him the night before that the call did not discuss sanctions.
January 24
The FBI interviews Mike Flynn about his conversations with Sergey Kislyak. (NYT, WaPo) Flynn denies he had discussed sanctions. (WaPo)
January 26
Acting attorney general Sally Yates informs White House Counsel Donald McGahn that Flynn had misled senior administration officials about his communications with the Russian ambassador. (WaPo)
McGahn “immediately” briefs Donald Trump on the information. (WaPo) Senior strategist Steve Bannon and chief of staff Reince Priebus are at this briefing. (WaPo)
January 27
Sally Yates and Donald McGahn have a second meeting, initiated by McGahn, where Mike Flynn is discussed. (Yates testimony)
January 30
President Donald Trump fires acting attorney general Sally Yates, after she orders the Department of Justice not to defend Trump’s executive order on immigration.
February 8
Mike Flynn categorically denies to the Washington Post that he had discussed sanctions with Sergey Kislyak. (WaPo, WaPo)
February 9
In the evening, the Washington Post, citing nine current and former U.S. officials, breaks the story that Mike Flynn discussed sanctions with Sergey Kislyak. For the article, Flynn revises his account, with a spokesman saying Flynn “couldn’t be certain that the topic never came up.”
Vice president Mike Pence, after learning the story, enquires and is informed of the Justice Department warning about Flynn's call. (NYT, NBC, WaPo)
Pence, chief strategist Steve Bannon, and chief of staff Reince Priebus are all in favor of Flynn’s resignation. (NYT)
Around midnight, the New York Times reports that Flynn discussed sanctions with Kislyak as well.
FEBRUARY 10
Mike Flynn begins hedging his earlier denials, now saying he “isn’t completely certain” he did not discuss sanctions with Kisylak. (ABC)
On Air Force One, Donald Trump claims he is unaware of the reports, but will look into them.
February 13
According to Flynn, early Monday morning Donald Trump tells Flynn to go out and talk more to the press. Flynn goes to the Daily Caller.
In the afternoon, Senior counselor Kellyanne Conway says that Trump has full confidence in Flynn.
Shortly later, press secretary Sean Spicer says instead that Trump is evaluating the situation.
According to an administration official, new information came to light between Conway's comments and the Spicer statement. (CNN)
Around 8:20 pm, “a sullen Mr. Flynn was seen in the Oval Office.” (NYT)
At 8:25 pm, the Washington Post breaks the story that the Justice Department had warned the White House in January that Flynn had so mischaracterized his communications with Kislyak that he might be vulnerable to blackmail by Moscow.
At around 9:00 pm, national security adviser Michael Flynn resigns. According to one White House official, Trump had not fired him. (WaPo) According to Sean Spicer, Trump had (NYT).