WASHINGTON, D.C. — Michael Flynn resigned Monday night as national security adviser to Donald Trump as controversy continued to swirl around Flynn’s conversations with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S.
A White House official confirmed the resignation to the Washington Post. Flynn had been on the job for just over three weeks.
“I am tendering my resignation, honored to have served our nation and the American people in such a distinguished way,” Flynn wrote in his resignation letter, obtained by CNN. “I know with the strong leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence and the superb team they are assembling, this team will go down in history as one of the greatest presidencies in US history.”
Retired Army General Keith Kellogg will be the interim national security adviser, CNN reports. Kellogg, retired Gen. David Petraeus and former Vice Admiral Bob Harward are possible replacements for Flynn, CNN reports.
Flynn apologized privately for the controversy to Pence, a White House official told the Associated Press. Pence, relying on information from Flynn, publicly vouched that the retired Army lieutenant general did not discuss U.S. sanctions against Russia in calls with the Russia late last year.
Flynn later told the White House that sanctions may have come up. It is illegal for unauthorized private citizens to negotiate with foreign governments on behalf of the U.S.
The U.S. Justice Department warned the Trump administration that Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail by the Russians because of the situation. The FBI had been looking at Flynn’s phone calls as uncertainty grew about his communications with Russia.
Flynn’s tenure is one of the shortest in modern history, reports say. The New York Times says his departure again puts focus on reports of chaos inside the Trump administration during its first few weeks in office.
The Washington Post reports that current and former White House officials “couldn’t rule out” that Flynn acted with the knowledge of others on the Trump transition team. Just last week, Flynn denied to the Post that he had discussed sanctions.
The Times reports the Army is also investigating whether Flynn accepted money from the Russian government during a trip to the nation in 2015, a possible violation of the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
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