Michael Flynn was under FBI surveillance before his appointment.

(Baonghean.vn)- On May 17, US media reported that US President Donald Trump's transition team knew that Mr. Michael Flynn was at the center of an investigation by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) before he was appointed to the position of national security advisor.

Former national security adviser Michael Flynn. Photo: Sputnik

The New York Times quoted sources familiar with the matter as saying that Mr. Flynn told the transition team's chief lawyer, Mr. Don McGahn, about the investigation on January 4 - two weeks before Mr. Trump took office as President.

The newspaper said Mr Trump had prior knowledge of the investigation, which looked into a contract between the consulting firm Flynn Intel and a Dutch company owned by a Turkish businessman to lobby for US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of orchestrating last year's failed coup.

Mr Flynn was forced to resign just 24 days into his tenure. He has since been at the centre of allegations against President Trump over his campaign's ties to Russia, after Mr Flynn was reported to have discussed Washington's sanctions on Moscow with Russia's ambassador to the US, Sergei Kislyak.

Last week, President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey. A bombshell report published by the New York Times said that Trump asked Comey to end the investigation into former national security adviser Flynn’s ties to Russia./.

Lan Ha

(According to Sputnik)