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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/17/michael-flynn-bijan-rafiekian-business-partner-illegal-lobbying-turkey
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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Michael Flynn associate charged with illegal lobbying for Turkey | Michael Flynn associate charged with illegal lobbying for Turkey |
| (30 days later) | |
| A one-time business partner of the former national security adviser Michael Flynn has been arrested and charged with illegally lobbying to have a Turkish exile returned from the US. | A one-time business partner of the former national security adviser Michael Flynn has been arrested and charged with illegally lobbying to have a Turkish exile returned from the US. |
| Bijan Rafiekian, who also goes by the name Bijan Kian, made an initial appearance on Monday in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia. | Bijan Rafiekian, who also goes by the name Bijan Kian, made an initial appearance on Monday in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia. |
| US election meddling: Russia running 'active and ongoing' operations – live | US election meddling: Russia running 'active and ongoing' operations – live |
| He was indicted on charges including failing to register as a foreign agent. | He was indicted on charges including failing to register as a foreign agent. |
| According to the indictment unsealed in court, Rafiekian was vice-chairman of Flynn’s business group, the Flynn Intel Group. The two worked throughout 2016 to seek ways to have the cleric Fethullah Gülen extradited from the US to Turkey. | According to the indictment unsealed in court, Rafiekian was vice-chairman of Flynn’s business group, the Flynn Intel Group. The two worked throughout 2016 to seek ways to have the cleric Fethullah Gülen extradited from the US to Turkey. |
| The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has accused Gülen of directing a failed coup in the country. | The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has accused Gülen of directing a failed coup in the country. |
| Flynn is referred to in the indictment as “Person A”. | Flynn is referred to in the indictment as “Person A”. |
| Ekim Alptekin, a Turkish businessman regarded as close to Erdoğan, was also charged in the indictment, the filing shows. | Ekim Alptekin, a Turkish businessman regarded as close to Erdoğan, was also charged in the indictment, the filing shows. |
| Meanwhile Flynn is to be sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI over his contacts with Russian officials after Donald Trump was elected president in November 2016. | Meanwhile Flynn is to be sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI over his contacts with Russian officials after Donald Trump was elected president in November 2016. |
| The indictment accuses Rafiekian and Alptekin of illegally lobbying in the US to discredit Gülen and have him extradited. According to the indictment, Alptekin worked at the direction of the Turkish government, but the defendants worked to conceal that fact. | The indictment accuses Rafiekian and Alptekin of illegally lobbying in the US to discredit Gülen and have him extradited. According to the indictment, Alptekin worked at the direction of the Turkish government, but the defendants worked to conceal that fact. |
| In the summer of 2016, when Flynn was working as an adviser to the Trump campaign, the three initiated what they called a “truth campaign” that compared Gülen to Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini. | In the summer of 2016, when Flynn was working as an adviser to the Trump campaign, the three initiated what they called a “truth campaign” that compared Gülen to Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini. |
| On 8 November 2016, election day, Flynn wrote an op-ed piece in the Hill newspaper titled “Our Ally Turkey Is in Crisis and Needs Our Support”. The column uses the same comparison between Gülen and Khomeini. The indictment noted Flynn’s column uses identical or very similar language to that prepared by Rafiekian in a draft op-ed. | On 8 November 2016, election day, Flynn wrote an op-ed piece in the Hill newspaper titled “Our Ally Turkey Is in Crisis and Needs Our Support”. The column uses the same comparison between Gülen and Khomeini. The indictment noted Flynn’s column uses identical or very similar language to that prepared by Rafiekian in a draft op-ed. |
| “We all remember another quiet, bearded elder cleric who sat under an apple tree … in the suburbs of Paris in 1978,” Flynn wrote in the op-ed, mimicking language provided to him by Rafiekian. “He claimed to be a man of God who wanted to be a dictator.” | “We all remember another quiet, bearded elder cleric who sat under an apple tree … in the suburbs of Paris in 1978,” Flynn wrote in the op-ed, mimicking language provided to him by Rafiekian. “He claimed to be a man of God who wanted to be a dictator.” |
| Several days before the column was published, Rafiekian crowed to Alptekin in an email about the advantageous timing of the pending op-ed piece coinciding with election day. “The arrow has left the bow!” | Several days before the column was published, Rafiekian crowed to Alptekin in an email about the advantageous timing of the pending op-ed piece coinciding with election day. “The arrow has left the bow!” |
| Alptekin, who had complained a week earlier that the Flynn Intel Group had not done enough work to honor the contract, responded that Rafiekian’s op-ed was “right on target”. | Alptekin, who had complained a week earlier that the Flynn Intel Group had not done enough work to honor the contract, responded that Rafiekian’s op-ed was “right on target”. |
| Rafiekian and Alptekin’s prosecution is led not by the special counsel but prosecutors with the eastern district of Virginia. | Rafiekian and Alptekin’s prosecution is led not by the special counsel but prosecutors with the eastern district of Virginia. |
| Michael Flynn | Michael Flynn |
| Turkey | Turkey |
| Recep Tayyip Erdoğan | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |
| Virginia | Virginia |
| news | news |
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