I am working on a Flynn timeline which I plan to post on FR as soon as I can figure out the HTML code to present it in a table format, and this is some of the info from that.
Here is the significance, IMO:
The full transcripts have never been made public. And even the ones not made public appear to have been massaged by the FBI into "summaries" which is exactly the same dishonest practice they use with their 302 forms to memorialize their interviews, said 302 form content being derived from handwritten notes agents take.
- 01/24/2017: Flynn is interviewed at the White House by Strzok and Pientka
- 1/26/2017: Sally Yates tells White House Counsel McGahn that Flynn may have lied to Pence From Lee Smith’s “The Plot Against The President”: On January 26, acting Attorney General Sally Yates went to the White House to warn lawyer Donald McGahn the Flynn might have misled the vice president. She said that since the Russians knew that there were discrepancies between what Flynn had said to Kislyak and what he had apparently told Pence of their conversation, the national security advisor might be vulnerable to blackmail. Sally Yates is setting and baiting the trap. This is only two days after the infamous interview.
- 2/9/2017: Washington Post prints leaked parts of the Flynn-Kislyak call that appeared to contradict Flynn’s conversation with Pence. This is the first paragraph by the Washington Post article by Greg Miller, Adam Entous and Ellen Nakashima. Again, this is a timed leak to the Washington Post, the publication of which appears to be done directly in advance of the meeting scheduled for the next day between Pence and McCabe.
The very first paragraph in the article states unequivocally:
“National security adviser Michael Flynn privately discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with that country’s ambassador to the United States during the month before President Trump took office, contrary to public assertions by Trump officials, current and former U.S. officials said.”
In no uncertain terms, they state that Flynn lied." This is important, because it is a pattern of behavior by the Left in general, and the Obama Administration in particular. The Obama Administration is orchestrating public opinion and outcry with a willing and compliant media. This is another part of baiting and setting the trap. They want to whip people into an outrage with the media, plant seeds of discontent and doubt in politicians and people who might otherwise support Trump.
- 2/10/2017: McCabe shows portions of Flynn-Kislyak conversation at scheduled White House briefing with VP Pence "From Lee Smith’s “The Plot Against The President”: When McCabe appeared at the White House the next day, he was called into Pence’s office. Priebus and McGahn were there, watching news coverage of the leaked intercept. They were upset. They asked to see the information McCabe had on Flynn. “This is totally opposite,” said Pence. “It’s not what he said to me.”
To all intents and purposes, the loyal Obama officials in the FBI, DOJ, and compliant media set a trap, baited it perfectly, pitched the public framing of the issue in the media, drumming up that Flynn was a liar, untrustworthy, vulnerable to blackmail, backed up with fake information in the trap, and sprung the trap on VP Pence publicly.
All coordinated precisely to bring the public and unknowing dupes in the administration into full throated calls to fire Flynn for lying. I pointed out that the day before, the Washington Post, through a timed leak was intent on fomenting doubt and discord in their foes. Note what McCabe pointed out when he arrived at the White House: Priebus and McGahn were glued to the television in a high state of emotional disturbance, which is exactly what they wanted with the timed leak.
- 2/13/2017: Trump fires General Flynn
They key of it all is that they (Comey, McCabe, Yates, et al) very likely couldn't have done this if there had been an exact, unedited transcript of the call. Note the reaction of VP Pence when shown what was likely a selectively edited summary that may have been missing context: "...This is totally opposite. It’s not what he said to me...”
Much of this boils down to what was actually said, and there is a VITAL and IMPORTANT distinction. Flynn said he didn't discuss sanctions with Kislyak. Flynn even knew that his conversations were being monitored. In his account, Flynn said to both the FBI interviewers AND VP Pence that he NEVER discussed sanctions, either the 2014 sanctions for the Ukraine invasion or sanctions being considered in the future after the Russian. diplomats were ejected on 12/29/2016.
However, Flynn openly said he DID discuss the Persona Non Grata ejection of the Russian diplomats.
Here is the important distinction: Persona Non Grata ejections and Sanctions are TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. The "Countering Russian Hostilities Act of 2017" wasn't introduced in Congress until 1/11/2017 (and was never passed).
The Sanctions Act was introduced 13 days after the Flynn-Kislyak call in which Flynn was accused of discussing sanctions. Compare this text to the text of Executive Order 13694 which discusses the actions taken against Russian nationals on US territory accused of cybercrimes. This bill outlined below had not even been thought of or introduced on 12/29/2016, and even if it had, Flynn would not have been privy to the construction or discussion of it.