UPDATE: The Wall Street Journal reports Michael Flynn is not going to work for Stonington after all, according to his lawyers, and the statement Stonington released was the result of a "misunderstanding."
“General Flynn has not joined Stonington and did not personally issue any public statement,” Mr. Flynn’s attorneys Robert Kelner and Stephen Anthony said in a statement Tuesday. “He was aware that a statement was being drafted, but he did not intend that it be issued at this time.”
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Nick Muzin and Joey Allaham told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that they had started their firm with Mr. Flynn. They also launched a Stonington website and promotional video Tuesday.
“We cannot comment on General Flynn’s considerations about the timing of the announcement, but we have faith in his patriotism and long history of service to our country,” Messrs. Muzin and Allaham said after Mr. Flynn’s lawyers issued their statement. “We look forward to working together.”
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Stonington Global will provide consulting and lobbying services for U.S. and foreign clients, Messrs. Muzin and Allaham said in a statement. The firm also will “help private investors and sovereign-wealth funds develop and execute investment strategies.” Mr. Flynn was to serve as its director of global strategy.
The firm hasn’t announced any clients.
Messrs. Muzin and Allaham previously worked together helping a failed political candidate in Albania and on an influence campaign for the embattled Persian Gulf nation Qatar, according to foreign lobbying records. The pair ended their work with Qatar last month, after helping its royal family connect with U.S. Jewish leaders and associates of President Donald Trump to repair the country’s image, according to interviews with Messrs. Muzin and Allaham and foreign lobbying reports filed with the Justice Department.
Neither man knew Mr. Flynn, they said, but Mr. Allaham approached him about joining the firm because “his experience speaks for itself.”
“I said to him, your life should not be stopped,” Mr. Allaham said. “He has experience all over the world. He can do a lot for us. We are very lucky to get a man like that.”
Messrs. Muzin and Allaham declined to comment on Mr. Flynn’s legal issues but said they are confident he will be a valuable and ethical player in their firm.
Mike Flynn’s Lawyers Say He Is No Longer Joining Consulting Firm (WSJ) *Note: All WSJ articles appear behind a paywall
Stonington Global LLC has hired former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn to serve its director of global strategy even though Flynn has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, is cooperating with the special counsel in the Russia investigation, and could be going to jail.
CNN:
The Wall Street Journal was first to report the news of Flynn's return to the consulting world following his ouster from the Trump administration and ensuing guilty plea last year. Lobbyist Nick Muzin and partner Joey Allaham told the Journal they did not know Flynn but that Allaham had approached him about the role due to the retired general's experience.
The pair told the Journal that Flynn's son, Michael Flynn Jr., was joining Stonington as well, and that Flynn would need to step away temporarily if he goes to jail.
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Flynn, who was head of the Defense Intelligence Agency during the Obama administration, went on to become a prominent supporter of Donald Trump's presidential candidacy. After Trump's victory in 2016, Flynn was named national security adviser but left the role shortly after Trump's inauguration amid controversy over his statements to the FBI about conversations with Russia's ambassador. Flynn pleaded guilty in December to lying to investigators and is awaiting sentencing as Robert Mueller's special counsel investigation continues.
Muzin has a fascinating tie to Elliott Broidy, a top Trump donor and the RNC's deputy finance chair who stepped down after news reports revealed he was paying $1.6 million to cover up an affair with a Playboy Playmate he impregnated. Broidy's payments funneled through Michael Cohen.
Muzin, until recently, was a registered lobbyist for Qatar. Elliott Broidy, a top Trump fundraiser who came under fire when his private emails detailing his business ties in the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere were hacked and offered to news outlets, has accused Muzin and Stonington Global of being involved in the hack, helping Qatari officials. Muzin has repeatedly denied these accusations and said his knowledge of the breach came from his interactions with journalists seeking comment on the stories about Broidy's emails. Broidy has sued Muzin, along with Qatari officials and several former Western intelligence officials. Muzin is trying to get the case against him dismissed with prejudice.
Flynn joins consulting firm ahead of criminal sentencing (CNN)
R.N.C. Official Who Agreed to Pay Playboy Model $1.6 Million Resigns (NYT)