The answer to one of the most critical questions at the heart of the Russia investigation may well lie in the grand hallways of Mar-a-Lago.
Did President Donald Trump know Michael Flynn talked about sanctions during his conversations a year ago with the former Russian ambassador? Or did the President’s small circle of advisers keep it from him?
A look back at a pivotal 48-hour period — inside the President’s Palm Beach estate — offers a fresh window into some of the early thinking and actions of the new Trump team, the consequences of which are now front-and-center in the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
When Trump strode into Mar-a-Lago’s Grand Ballroom last December 29, neither he nor his aides could imagine that day would come to haunt his presidency. But the decisions made during that period, as the President basked in the comfort of his retreat, still resonate a year later.
It’s now clear that Flynn’s lies to the FBI were rooted in his telephone call that day to the former Russian ambassador and his subsequent call to Trump advisers at Mar-a-Lago.
The answers may ultimately come from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, but the questions begin during that critical period in Florida.
Here’s a look back at what is known — and what’s still to be determined — about what transpired Mar-a-Lago on December 28 and 29 last year: