U.S. President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn gathered information within his lobbying activities about Islamic cleric Fetullah Gulen who resides in the U.S. and who is accused by Turkey of organizing a coup attempt in July, 2016, New York Times reported.

“Flynn was assigned to investigate Fethullah Gulen, blamed by  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for helping instigate the failed coup. Erdogan has demanded the United States extradite Gulen, which the Obama administration refused to do,” the newspaper noted.

New York Times reminded that on Election Day, Flynn published an op-ed article in The Hill, a newspaper serving Congress, calling Mr. Gulen “a shady Islamic mullah” and “radical Islamist.”

Earlier it was reported, U.S. President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn was known to have spoken with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak several times by phone in December. Flynn denied that he and Kislyak had discussed U.S. sanctions and Vice-President Mike Pence also denied the claims on his behalf. Later, Flynn told the White House that the topic of sanctions could be discussed.

Flynn registered with the Justice Department as a foreign agent for $530,000 worth of lobbying work before Election Day that may have aided the Turkish government.