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Russian company paid Trump’s advisor for speech at Washington forum in 2015 — Kaspersky

The Kaspersky Lab said that forum featured leading political and IT experts

MOSCOW, March 17. /TASS/. A subsidiary of the Russian cybersecurity Kaspersky Lab group paid to adviser to the US President Donald Trump on national security Michael Flynn (prior to his appointment to the position) for a speech at a forum in Washington in 2015, Kaspersky Lab’s press service told TASS on Friday.

"Michael Flynn, who was forced to resign as national security adviser amid controversy over his contacts with Russia’s ambassador, collected nearly $68,000 in fees and expenses from Russia-related entities in 2015, a higher amount than was previously known, according to newly released documents," The Wall Street Journal wrote earlier.

"The newly released documents show that Flynn was also paid $11,250 that year by the U.S. subsidiary of a Russian cybersecurity firm, Kaspersky Lab," the newspaper wrote.

The Kaspersky Lab said that forum featured leading political and IT experts. "They discussed cybersecurity problems, which governments face, and ways to solve them," the press service said.

"A Kaspersky spokeswoman said in a statement that the company’s US subsidiary paid Flynn to speak at a Washington forum in 2015 that brought together other military, government, technology and policy experts.

"As a private company, Kaspersky Lab has no ties to any government, but the company is proud to collaborate with the authorities of many countries, as well as international law enforcement agencies in the fight against cyber­crime," The Wall Street Journal quoted her.

Flynn’s cooperation with other Russian companies

The newspaper wrote Flynn had received "$11,250 by a US air cargo company affiliated with the Volga-Dnepr Group, which is owned by a Russian businessman. The cyberfirm and the airline said the payments were made for speeches Flynn delivered in Washington."

Besides, in December 2015, the RT Russian television company paid about $34,000 to Flynn for participation in its conference, the newspaper said, adding he made a speech related to the U.S. foreign policy and intelligence service.

Flynn took the position of Donald Trump’s adviser on national security in January, but a month later he was forced to resign after The Washington Post disclosed the details of his conversation with the Russian ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak over anti-Russian sanctions. Flynn said his conversation with the Russian ambassador concerned the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats from the United States. He pointed out he had merely mentioned the very instance of the expulsion and remarked that the situation required further scrutiny.