Russia-Investigation

Trump Pardons Michael Flynn After Guilty Plea and Sidney Powell Conspiracy Theories

| Importance: 8/10

President Trump issued a full pardon to his first National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn, who had pleaded guilty twice to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 transition. The pardon came after Flynn, represented by conspiracy theorist attorney …

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Trump Commutes Roger Stone Sentence Days Before Prison

| Importance: 8/10

President Trump commuted Roger Stone’s 40-month prison sentence days before he was to report to prison for lying to Congress and witness tampering to protect Trump. Stone was convicted on seven felonies for obstructing the House Intelligence Committee’s Russia investigation, lying about …

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Rosenstein Appoints Robert Mueller as Special Counsel for Russia Investigation - Direct Response to Trump's Obstruction

| Importance: 10/10

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III as Special Counsel on May 17, 2017, to oversee the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and any links between the Trump campaign and Russia—just 8 days after Trump fired FBI Director …

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Trump Fires FBI Director Comey to Stop Russia Investigation, Tells Russians "Pressure Taken Off"

| Importance: 6/10

Trump fired FBI Director James Comey while under FBI investigation for Russian connections. Day after firing, Trump told Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and Ambassador Kislyak in Oval Office that he had “faced great pressure because of Russia” which had been “taken off” by …

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DOJ Begins Surveillance of Washington Post Journalists Reporting on Russia Investigation

| Importance: 9/10

The Trump Justice Department initiated a systematic surveillance operation targeting Washington Post journalists Ellen Nakashima, Greg Miller, and Adam Entous between April 15 and July 31, 2017. The operation was part of an aggressive effort to identify sources and suppress national security …

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Devin Nunes Makes Secret Midnight White House Visit to View Intel, Then Briefs Trump Before Committee - Obstruction of Investigation

| Importance: 10/10

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes made a secret visit to the White House grounds on March 21, 2017—the night before he dramatically announced he had seen intelligence suggesting Trump associates were “incidentally collected” in surveillance. Nunes viewed classified …

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Jeff Sessions Forced to Recuse from Russia Investigation After Perjury About Kislyak Meetings Revealed

| Importance: 10/10

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced on March 2, 2017, that he would recuse himself from any investigations related to the 2016 presidential campaign, including Russian interference, following The Washington Post’s revelation that Sessions had lied under oath about his contacts with …

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Michael Flynn Resigns After 24 Days as National Security Advisor - Shortest Tenure Ever - Following Russia Lies to Pence and FBI

| Importance: 10/10

National Security Advisor Michael Flynn resigned on February 13, 2017, after just 24 days in office—the shortest tenure in the 63-year history of the position. Flynn’s resignation came after revelations that he had lied to Vice President Mike Pence, other White House officials, and the FBI …

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