BREAKING: DNI Ratcliffe Releases Flynn-Kislyak Transcripts to Senators Grassley, Johnson. Downloaded Transcripts Included

May 29, 2020

DNI John Ratcliffe released the Flynn-Kislyak transcripts on Friday afternoon.

Ratcliffe sent the transcripts to Senators Grassley, Ron Johnson. The transcripts were copied to Democrat Senators Dianne Feinstein and Mark Warner and Marco Rubio, Devin Nunes and Adam Schiff.

DNI Ratcliffe: In response to bipartisan requests regarding the..Flynn..transcripts, please find the enclosed declassified documents>: Sent to Grassley, Johnson. Copied were Feinstein, Warner, Rubio, Schiff & Nunes

— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) May 29, 2020

#FLYNN key dates former national security adviser’s phone calls with Russian ambassador Kisylak during 2016 presidential transition according to Special Counsel court documents. @CBSNews pic.twitter.com/J9M832rU1g

— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) May 29, 2020

FOX News reported on the release today.

The transcripts have long been sought by lawmakers because they reveal the contents of the phone calls between Flynn and Kislyak during the presidential transition period. Flynn pleaded guilty for making false statements to the FBI about his conversations with Kislyak, a plea he later sought to withdraw.

“As I stated throughout the confirmation process, transparency is vital to allowing the American people to have confidence in the Intelligence Community,” Ratcliffe said in a statement. “As the Director of National Intelligence, it is my obligation to review declassification requests with the overarching priority of protecting sources and methods, while also providing transparency whenever possible. Accordingly, today the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declassified transcripts concerning Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn.”

The transcripts were declassified by Richard Grenell on his way out as acting director of national intelligence, leaving the decision on whether to make those documents public up to Ratcliffe, who was officially sworn in as director on Tuesday.

Ratcliffe, in his first major move as DNI, sent the declassified transcripts of phone conversations between Flynn and Kislyak to Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., on Friday. The Flynn-Kislyak phone calls took place in 2016 on Dec. 22 and Dec. 29.

“In response to bipartisan requests regarding the LTG Michael Flynn (Retired) transcripts, please find the enclosed declassified documents,” Ratcliffe wrote to Johnson and Grassley on Friday, copying Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Mark Warner, D-Va., Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Reps. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Devin Nunes, R-Calif.

Here are the full Flynn Kislyak transcripts — Via Senator Grassley:

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