Hours Before Comey’s Firing, the Media Learned of Grand Jury Subpoenas For Flynn Associates

This should come as no surprise, seeing as how basically everyone with a brain already suspects that Trump fired FBI director James Comey earlier today for reasons related to the ongoing Russia investigations, but here it is in plain English, via CNN:

Federal prosecutors have issued grand jury subpoenas to associates of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn seeking business records, as part of the ongoing probe of Russian meddling in last year’s election, according to people familiar with the matter. CNN learned of the subpoenas hours before President Donald Trump fired FBI director James Comey.

Flynn, who was forced out of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014 before becoming Trump’s National Security Advisor, has been under investigation for payments received from foreign governments—Russia and Turkey, most prominently—and was forced to resign his latest post in February for withholding information regarding those connections. As CNN says, the grand jury subpoenas signify a more serious look into potential wrongdoing, and could end up involving Trump or his close associates:

The subpoenas represent the first sign of a significant escalation of activity in the FBI’s broader investigation begun last July into possible ties between Trump campaign associates and Russia.

The subpoenas have been issued over the last few weeks, but CNN and other media outlets first learned of them today. The question now is whether the same is true of Trump and his team, and whether this specific revelation is what prompted Comey’s firing.