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Transcripts Between General Michael Flynn and the Russian Ambassador Have Been Declassified. Will Ratcliffe Release Them?

Before leaving his position as Acting DNI Tuesday afternoon, Richard Grenell declassified a number of call transcripts between Lt. General Michael Flynn and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 presidential transition period. These were calls included in unmasking by nearly three dozen Obama administration officials. There's also more coming. 

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Fox News has learned that Grenell also completed the declassification review of other documents related to the origins of the Russia probe — including one that a senior intelligence official told Fox News was “very significant in understanding how intelligence was manipulated to support launching the Russia investigation.”

It is now up to newly minted DNI John Ratcliffe to decide whether the transcripts will be released. 

The declassification of the calls comes two weeks after Grenell released dozens of transcripts from closed door testimony given by Obama administration officials to the House Intelligence Committee. A number of them show while Obama officials were making false claims of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government during media appearances, under oath they were saying they had no evidence of any such action.

During the White House briefing Tuesday afternoon, Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany applauded Grenell's work and expressed confidence in Ratcliffe's new tenure.   

"Ric Grenell is a very valued member of this administration. He's done extraordinary work at ODNI. He has a great history. We'll see where he goes next, but just know Ric Grenell has done an excellent job in that position. I expect John Ratcliffe will as he takes over," McEnany said.