6 Unanswered Questions After Michael Flynn's Resignation

President Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, leaves many questions behind after his resignation Monday night.

Nicholas Kamm
/ AFP/Getty Images

Originally published on February 15, 2017 1:26 pm

After multiple public statements from the White House, there are still numerous unanswered questions surrounding Michael Flynn's Monday-night resignation from his position as national security adviser.

Flynn is under fire for a discussion he had with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak on the day that the U.S. announced sanctions for cyberhacking that took place during the U.S. election.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer characterized the resignation as being about "eroding trust" between President Trump and Flynn, rather than a legal issue, and he said it was Trump's decision to have Flynn step down. House Speaker Paul Ryan alsobriefed Vice President Pence before Pence made a round of TV appearances Jan. 15 in which he denied Flynn discussed the sanctions in the call. Spicer said on Jan. 13 that Flynn told him the call was to convey Christmas greetings, condolences for a plane crash that killed members of a Russian military choir, Russian talks about the war in Syria and logistics for a post-inauguration call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In his resignation letter, Flynn apologized for giving the vice president and others "incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian Ambassador."

2. Did Flynn's conversation influence Russia's decision not to retaliate with sanctions of its own?

The Obama administration announced sanctions on Dec. 29 in response to findings that Russia used cyberattacks during the presidential