Fired Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn apparently has more than one new lawyer representing him. Flynn sent Robert Kelner and Stephen Anthony packing last week, leading to immediate speculation about who would be replacing them and why. We still don’t completely know why–though there are some clues–but we do know more about who now comprises Team Flynn.
On the heels of the Wednesday announcement that Flynn retained Sidney Powell as his counsel, a number of other attorneys were named in a notice of appearance Thursday in a case against Flynn’s former business partner, Bijan Rafiekian (also known as Bijan Kian).
In addition to Powell (who is planning on appearing pro hac vice, as she is a Texas lawyer), Eastern District of Virginia-based attorney Jesse R. Binnall and Florida attorney W. William Hodes were also named in the filing as Flynn’s counsel. Law&Crime reached out to Powell and she confirmed that she, Binnall and Hodes are all representing Flynn.
Philip J. Harvey and Paris Sorrell, attorneys at the firm Harvey & Binnall, will be assisting in the case, Powell confirmed.
The Kian case was formerly a redacted mystery. The Department of Justice unsealed the indictments of 66-year-old Californian Bijan Kian and 41-year-old Turkish-Dutch national Kamil Ekim Alptekin back in Dec. 2018. They were charged with conspiracy, lying to the FBI, and illegally acting in the U.S. as Turkish agents. Michael Flynn was referred to as “Person A” in the unsealed indictment.
Kian and Alptekin were allegedly involved “in a conspiracy to covertly influence U.S. politicians and public opinion against a Turkish citizen living in the United States whose extradition had been requested by the Government of Turkey.” That Turkish citizen was identified as cleric Fethullah Gulen. Gulen was accused by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of orchestrating a failed coup.
In any event, Flynn agreed to cooperate and is expected to testify against Kian.
[Image via Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images]
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