15 February 2017, 04:02 GMT
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – On Monday, Flynn stepped down after information about his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak prior to Trump's inauguration was leaked to the media and amid the debates on whether he violated the Logan Act of 1799 that prohibits private US citizens from engaging with foreign nations in diplomatic disputes.
The campaign, which might have included Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser for strategic communication, aimed to discredit Flynn because of his skepticism about the nuclear deal with Iran, the Washington Free Beacon newspaper reported, citing multiple undisclosed sources, some of them from inside the White House.
According to the newspaper, the effort was meant to prevent the administration of President Donald Trump from disclosing secret details of the Iranian deal.
The outlet said the sources were concerned that other prominent figures in the current administration could become targets of similar campaigns next.
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