This has not been a good week for Michael Flynn. According to a letter from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) to the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, Flynn never received permission to receive permission for the monies he was paid by both Russian and Turkish governments.The Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution, article I, section 9, clause 8, as interpreted in Comptroller General opinions and by the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel, prohibits receipt of consulting fees, gifts, travel expenses, honoraria, or salary by all retired military personnel, officer and enlisted, regular and reserve, from a foreign government unless congressional consent is first obtained. Consent is provided by Congress under 37 U.S.C. 908, which requires advance approval from the relevant service secretary and the Secretary of State before accepting employment, consulting fees, gifts, travel expenses, honoraria, or salary from a foreign government.   Accordingly, if you are ever in a position where you would receive an emolument from a foreign government or from an entity that might be controlled by a foreign government, be sure to obtain advance approval from the Army prior to acceptance.  (emphasis in original)To recap: Flynn broke the law, lied about why he was fired and was never really vetted by the Trump administration prior to becoming the President s National Security Advisor. He says he was fired from the military because he called the enemies of the United States  jihadis.  The military says he was fired for not listening to orders, being abusive to staff and going against policy. He was warned in 2014 to not accept payments from Russia or Turkey but he went ahead and did it anyway.If you have any doubts as to why the Emoluments Clause is so important, you only have to read the op-ed Flynn wrote in November 2016 about Turkey. While he was on the Turkish payroll he wrote,  We need to adjust our foreign policy to recognize Turkey as a priority. We need to see the world from Turkey s perspective. The good news is Flynn is out of the administration. Now the Trump administration needs to release everything it used to vet him.Featured image via Kevin Hagen/Getty Images.