[American Mil News] The U.S. Army revealed Friday it is seeking to impose a penalty payment against retired Gen. Mike Flynn for failing to disclose lucrative speaking engagements and business activities with Russian and Turkish business entities.The Department of Defense Inspector General determined Flynn made around $450,000 from business and speaking engagements while drawing from military retirement pay, including $33,750 for a 2015 speaking event in Moscow, Russia. The DoD Inspector General recorded these alleged payments to Flynn in a January 2021 memo that was first released to the public last week through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
These payments may be in violation of federal regulations against retired U.S. military service members working for foreign governments. According to a May 2 memo to Flynn, obtained by the Washington Post, the Army is seeking $38,557.06 from Flynn for money and in-kind compensation he received for attending the 2015 event in Moscow, which was in celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the start of the Russian television channel Russia Today, or RT.
Federal regulations for retired U.S. military members prohibit anyone "holding any office of profit or trust under the Federal Government from accepting any present, emolument, office, or title of any kind whatever from any king, prince, or foreign state without the consent of Congress." The provision prohibits the employment of a retired U.S. service member by a foreign government.
According to the 2021 DoD IG memo, investigators were able to find no indication that Flynn sought prior approval from the Department of State or Department of the Army to attend the 2015 event in Moscow.