Two FBI agents’ long-secret handwritten notes of their 2017 interview with Mike Flynn have been declassified and highlight fresh discrepancies with the bureau’s official documents that were used to criminally prosecute President Donald Trump’s first national security advisor and pressure him to reach a plea deal nearly a decade ago.
The notes from former Special Agents Peter Strzok and Joe Pientka were released Wednesday by the White House Government Transparency Task Force at a time when federal prosecutors are ramping up a grand jury investigation into whether the FBI’s probe of Russia collusion amounted to a criminal conspiracy to falsely impugn Trump and his supporters during the 2016 election and its aftermath.
The contemporaneous notes show differences between what the agents wrote down when they interviewed Flynn on Jan. 24, 2017, and what was recorded in the official typed summary of the interview, known as an FD-302, that was entered into the FBI system more than 20 days later and later used to underpin his prosecution.
Flynn was charged in federal court in Washington, D.C., in November 2017 with one count of false statements to the FBI agents investigating allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election.
According to prosecutors, Flynn “falsely stated and represented” to agents that he “did not ask the [Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak] to refrain from escalating the situation in response to sanctions the United States had imposed against Russia” for alleged 2016 election interference.
On December 20, 2016, the same day that Flynn had at least one call with Kislyak, the Obama administration expelled 35 Russian diplomats and authorized the government to respond to Russian cyber operations.
But Pientka’s handwritten notes contain a tantalizing notation apparently attributed to Flynn in the interview about his conversation with Kislyak: “Hey, don’t do anything.”
Likewise, the FBI summary report stated that Flynn recalled making four or five calls the day he talked with the Russian diplomat from a Christmas vacation spot in the Dominican Republic. But Strzok’s notes quoted Flynn as saying: “If so, don’t remember. If so, busy place to make phone calls.”
Though Flynn initially pleaded guilty to the charges, he later filed to withdraw his plea under new representation. His new lawyer, Sidney Powell, argued that the FD-302, which formed the basis for the charges against her client, had been altered by Strzok, one of the agents who interviewed Flynn, and Lisa Page, an FBI lawyer who did not attend the interview.
In the pair’s text messages, which were publicly exposed in 2020, Strzok and Page discussed how Strzok had made significant edits to the FD-302. In fact, Strzok told Page he was “trying not to completely re-write” the summary because of its poor original state. Page also provided edits, the text messages show.
Trump pardoned Flynn in November 2020, ending the prosecution. Flynn filed a civil suit in 2023 alleging malicious prosecution, claiming DOJ investigators, under what he called “virulently anti-Trump leadership” within the FBI, had targeted him because of his association with Trump’s 2016 campaign, and that he was “falsely branded as a traitor,” lost business opportunities and incurred significant legal costs.
A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit in 2024, but he filed again when Trump returned to office. In March 2025, the Justice Department under Attorney General Pam Bondi settled the suit for approximately $1.2 million, The Associated Press reported.
Strzok and Pientka’s FD-302 file records show that Flynn said that he did not remember discussing with Kislyak the expulsion of diplomats and new sanctions. According to the agents, when asked whether he asked the Russians to refrain from escalating with their own sanctions, Flynn is said to have responded, “Not really. I don’t remember. It wasn’t, ‘Don’t do anything.’”
But, the wording departs from how one of the agents first memorialized Flynn’s response in the interview more than 20 days earlier. According to Pientka’s handwritten memo, Flynn was asked whether he had any recollection of such a conversation with Kislyak and he replied, “Not really. I don’t remember. Hey don’t do anything.”
The agent separately records that Flynn said there was no “long drawn out” discussion “about don’t do anything.” But, the notes show that Flynn did not tell agents that he never spoke with Kislyak and never asked him to refrain from escalating with further expulsions and the sanctions, which prosecutors later accused him of lying about.
In another instance, the agents appeared to have altered Flynn’s response to a question about the number of calls he remembered having with the Russian ambassador and others related to the diplomatic incident. In the FD-302, the agents write that “FLYNN remembered making four to five calls that day about this issue, but that the Dominican Republic was a difficult place to make a call as he kept having connectivity issues.”
However, in both memos, the agents note that Flynn did not recall making four to five calls. “I [do not] remember making 4-5 calls,” one agent wrote, using a common symbol for “do not” or “no.” “If did lousy place to call,” he added to Flynn’s response. The other agent wrote that Flynn answered “if so, don’t remember,” to a question about the number of calls.
You can read both sets of handwritten interview notes and the FD-302, released by the White House Government Transparency Task Force, below:
File
FLYNN FBI 302 – redacted and declassified by FBI 7.30.26.pdf
File
Pientka interview notes – redacted and declassified by FBI 7.30.26.pdf
File
Strzok interview notes – redacted and declassified by FBI 7.30.26.pdf
For years, the timing and circumstances of Strzok and Pientka’s interview of the newly installed national security advisor has stirred concerns, both ethical and constitutional.
In fact, just weeks before that interview, the FBI agents in the Washington Field Office filed a memo arguing an investigation into Flynn should be closed after investigators had found “no derogatory” information to suggest Flynn committed a crime or posed a national security threat because of his contacts with Russian government officials, Just the News previously reported.
The files show the plan was to provide Flynn with a defensive briefing so he could be aware of potential pitfalls with Russians as he started in his new job in the White House. But then the lead agent in the larger Russia case, Strzok, intervened to stop the case from being closed and pivoted the discussion toward seeking an interview with Flynn, FBI text messages released in 2020 show.
The messages show that shortly after Strzok’s intervention, the discussion pivoted from closing the case to seeking an interview with Flynn. However, then-Assistant Director for Counterintelligence William Priestap, one of the FBI’s top counterintelligence officials, appeared to be concerned the FBI was being unfair to Flynn.
Handwritten notes that a federal court released in April 2020 show Priestap harbored concerns in early January 2017 after a meeting inside the Obama White House that the FBI was “playing games” with the Flynn investigation and may have been trying to use the interview to “get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?”
Strzok proceeded to interview Flynn anyway.
There were several other issues with the way the FBI under Director James Comey handled the case against Flynn, Just the News previously reported.
- FBI officials debated whether they could avoid, disguise or slip in the required FBI admonition against lying to agents at the start of Flynn’s interview to keep him off guard. “It would be an easy way to just casually slip that in,” Page texted during the discussions.
- The FBI agents who interviewed Flynn, including Strzok, did not believe Flynn intended to lie or be deceptive in his interview. “Strzok provided his view that Flynn appeared truthful during the interview,” a memo from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team later stated.
- The FBI agents who interviewed Flynn indicated in a draft report that Flynn did not directly deny talking to Kislyak about sanctions, as he was accused by Mueller. Instead, they noted, he couldn’t remember, wasn’t sure and even conceded it was possible.
- Justice Department officials immediately did not believe Flynn could realistically be prosecuted under the Logan Act – a 1799 law that prohibits private citizens from conducting unauthorized diplomacy – for his conversations with Kislyak. Former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe testified he was told such a prosecution was a “long shot,” and former Assistant Attorney General Mary McCord “said that upon learning of Flynn’s phone calls with Ambassador Kislyak, a Logan Act prosecution seemed like a stretch to her,” DOJ memos say.
- Senior Justice officials expressed concern and alarm at the way the FBI was treating Flynn, including trying to interview him without the normally required notification to the Trump White House.
- According to Justice Department officials and Flynn’s lawyers, the majority of the above evidence was withheld from the courts and Flynn’s legal team for years despite repeated orders that all exculpatory Brady materials, i.e., evidence of innocence, be produced.
The REAL DONALD TRUMP.
‼️ 🧵 1/ READ : FOR THIRTY YEARS BEFORE HE RAN FOR OFFICE, DONALD TRUMP QUIETLY PAID MORTGAGES, FLEW SICK CHILDREN ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND WROTE CHECKS TO STRANGERS WHO NEEDED HELP. YOU WILL NOT FIND THESE STORIES👇 ON THE EVENING NEWS. SO HERE THEY ARE :
‼️ Start with what people who knew him before politics say. He has never had a drink. He has never smoked. He has never used drugs. He built his business on long hours, and the people who worked for him will tell you he outworked all of them. Nobody called him a bigot until the day he announced for president. That timing tells you something about the accusation.
NOW TO THE RECORD:
♦️ In 1986, a Georgia widow named Annabell Hill was about to lose the family farm at a foreclosure auction. Trump saw her story on the news, picked up the phone, called the auction, and stopped the sale. Then he sent her the money to keep the farm.
♦️ In 1988, an Orthodox Jewish family in Los Angeles had a three-year-old son named Andrew Ten who needed treatment in New York. The boy could not survive without a full life-support setup, and no airline would carry it. His father asked Trump for help. Trump put the family on his own jet and got them there.
♦️ In 1991, two hundred Marines came home from Desert Storm to Camp Lejeune and found out the military had no aircraft to fly them the rest of the way to Florida. Trump’s airline, the Trump Shuttle, made two runs between North Carolina and Miami and got every one of them back to their families.
♦️ In 1995, a passing driver in New Jersey pulled over to help change a flat on Trump’s limo. Trump asked what he could do in return. The man only wanted flowers sent to his wife. A few weeks later, the story goes, the flowers came with a note saying the couple’s mortgage had been paid off. People have been repeating that one for three decades.
♦️ In 1996, Trump sued the town of Palm Beach, Florida. The town had been leaning on his Mar-a-Lago club for one reason. He let in Jewish members and Black members, and the older clubs did not. Abraham Foxman, who ran the Anti-Defamation League at the time, said Trump shined a light on the ugly side of Palm Beach that the glitter usually hid. Foxman also said other clubs started admitting Jews and Blacks after Trump forced the issue.
♦️ In 2000, Trump was watching Maury Povich and saw a little girl named Megan who lived with brittle bone disease. He said her attitude got to him. He called the show and sent her family a large check.
♦️ In 2008, Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother, and nephew were murdered in Chicago. Trump moved Hudson and her family into his Chicago hotel at no charge and had his security team watch over them while they grieved….
#JustTheFactsAn #TrumpTruths #Murch
( SOURCE: via KEN BLACKWELL )
Raise your hand if you think Melania Trump is the most beautiful First Lady America has ever had
https://twitter.com/Phillip_Buch/status/2097336824486355346/video/1
Maria Bartiromo to RIVAL NETWORK?!
Jill Biden Aired ALL Of Kamala Harris’ Dirty Laundry. It Was HARD TO WATCH.
Trump Reacts To Maria Bartiromo’s Sudden Fox News Exit With Warning To Network
Trump Reacts To Maria Bartiromo’s Sudden Fox News Exit With Warning To Network
President Donald Trump weighed in Thursday night on Maria Bartiromo’s abrupt departure from Fox News Media, praising the longtime anchor and predicting that her audience would be unhappy with the network’s decision.
Trump issued the response on Truth Social hours after Fox confirmed that Bartiromo was leaving the company effective immediately, ending a run that lasted more than 12 years.
In his Truth Social post, Trump said he “can’t believe” Bartiromo will no longer host her programs on Fox News and Fox Business. He highlighted the three programs she hosted and described her as a “total professional” and “true warrior.”
“Her fans, of which there are many, will not be happy,” Trump added before offering his well wishes to Bartiromo.
Trump’s reaction followed an unusually brief announcement from Fox News Media confirming Bartiromo’s exit Thursday.
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“Effective today, Maria Bartiromo is no longer with FOX News Media,” the company announced, thanking her for her work and wishing her well in her “next chapter.” Fox did not publicly specify a reason for the departure in its announcement.
Bartiromo hosted several prominent programs across the company’s two major cable networks, including “Mornings with Maria” and “Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street” on Fox Business and “Sunday Morning Futures” on Fox News.
Her final “Mornings with Maria” episode aired Thursday morning. The three-hour weekday program was set to become “Mornings with FOX Business” beginning Friday, with a group of rotating anchors taking over.
The weekly “Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street” is also being renamed “FBN’s Wall Street.” Cheryl Casone will initially host the revamped program before rotating anchors assume the role.
Fox also announced that former Rep. Jason Chaffetz will host “Sunday Morning Futures” this weekend while the network searches for a permanent replacement.
The company said a broader weekday programming schedule for Fox Business will be announced in the coming weeks.
Bartiromo joined Fox Business in 2014 after spending roughly two decades at CNBC, where she became one of the most recognizable figures in financial television journalism.
During her years at Fox, Bartiromo expanded beyond business coverage and became increasingly involved in political reporting and interviews.
Trump appeared with Bartiromo repeatedly over the years, including on “Sunday Morning Futures.” Fox’s own archive lists recent interviews and discussions involving Trump and members of his administration on the program.
The president had also publicly praised Bartiromo shortly before her departure. In July, Trump posted on Truth Social that “Maria Bartiromo is FANTASTIC!!!”
Her coverage of the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election later became part of major defamation litigation involving Fox.
Bartiromo was among the Fox personalities whose broadcasts were scrutinized in Dominion Voting Systems’ lawsuit against the network over false claims about the company’s voting machines. Fox ultimately reached a $787.5 million settlement with Dominion in 2023.
Smartmatic also brought defamation litigation against Fox stemming from election-related claims aired by the network. That case remains unresolved, according to the Associated Press.
Bartiromo’s departure was described by Fox as effective immediately, but the company’s public statement offered no details about what precipitated the split. The Associated Press similarly reported that no reason was specified, per Trending Politics.
Axios, citing a Fox spokesperson, reported that Bartiromo was fired for “business-related reasons.”
Trump did not address why Bartiromo left Fox in his Thursday night response. Instead, he focused on her career, the programs she hosted and the viewers who followed her.
His message ended with a prediction for Fox as it begins replacing one of its longest-serving personalities: Bartiromo’s audience, Trump said, “will not be happy.”
Bartiromo hosted several prominent programs across the company’s two major cable networks, including “Mornings with Maria” and “Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street” on Fox Business and “Sunday Morning Futures” on Fox News.
Her final “Mornings with Maria” episode aired Thursday morning. The three-hour weekday program was set to become “Mornings with FOX Business” beginning Friday, with a group of rotating anchors taking over.
The weekly “Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street” is also being renamed “FBN’s Wall Street.” Cheryl Casone will initially host the revamped program before rotating anchors assume the role.
Trump Reacts To Maria Bartiromo’s Sudden Fox News Exit With Warning To Network
Trump Just Forced Their Hand… His Next 3 Moves Are HUGE!
Sen. Barrasso Lays Out What Would Happen if Democrats Regain Control of House & Senate
https://twitter.com/RSBNetwork/status/2097810749175275920/video/1
“Bled and Died to Build The Greatest Civilization Known to Man” Rep. Brandon Gill at RNC in Dallas, TX – 09/09/26
https://twitter.com/RSBNetwork/status/2097813978067992611/video/1
Pastor Jack Graham Leads a Powerful Prayer for the RNC Convention and the Nation – 09/09/26
https://twitter.com/RSBNetwork/status/2097783257899159743/video/1
All the Democrats have done since Trump retook office is to deliver two historically long shutdowns.
That helped no one!
Meanwhile President Trump is creating energy independence and bringing manufacturing back to America!
Democrats have nothing to run on. They don’t even have an immigration plan!
It’s the BIG Midterm Convention, and I’m joining
@NEWSMAX live from Dallas. We’re breaking down President Trump’s economic message, the escalating tariff fight with Canada, and the legal battle over Missouri’s congressional maps. A lot is on the line for 2026. Tune in!
This reminds me of 2024. The more liberals lie about Trump, the higher up he goes
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