Michael Flynn, National Security Advisor to U.S. President Donald J. Trump, attends a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 10 February 2017 .Photo by Olivier Douliery/Abaca(Sipa via AP Images)

A lawyer for former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn told the Trump transition team before President Trump took office that Flynn might have to register as a foreign agent because of his work for a Turkish client, but Trump was not aware of the possible move, the White House said Friday.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the disclosure by White House officials confirms the Trump transition team was aware of the situation involving the president’s pick for a top national security post either before he joined the government or soon afterward.

The White House’s acknowledgement raised new questions about whether Trump’s transition team, and later, his White House lawyers, fully vetted Flynn after being informed about his possible filing as a foreign agent for his lobbying during the presidential campaign that may have benefited the government of Turkey.

On Thursday, Spicer had said he did not believe Trump had been told of Flynn’s work as a foreign agent. Later that day, Vice President Mike Pence said he was unaware of Flynn’s foreign agent work until this week.

Flynn and his firm, Flynn Intel Group Inc., filed paperwork this week with the Justice Department formally identifying him as a foreign agent and acknowledging that his work for a company owned by a Turkish businessman “could be construed to have principally benefited the Republic of Turkey.”

A foreign agent is anyone who actively carries out the interests of a foreign country while located in another host country, generally outside the protections offered to those working in their official capacity for a diplomatic mission. Foreign agents may be citizens of the host country.

Flynn resigned last month after less than a month on the job for misleading Vice President Mike Pence and other administration officials about his contacts with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S.

According to CNN, in the filings with the Justice Department’s Foreign Agent Registration Unit, Flynn and his company described $530,000 worth of lobbying before Election Day on behalf of Inovo BV, a Dutch-based company owned by Turkish businessman Ekim Alptekin. The lobbying occurred from August through November while Flynn was a top Trump campaign adviser.

In an interview with the AP, Alptekin said Flynn and his firm filed the registration after pressure from Justice Department officials. Alptekin said he disagreed with the decision to register. He also said he had asked for some of his money back.

“It is highly unlawful for any presidential administration to select a cabinet member who could potentially file as a foreign agent after knowingly being told by Flynn’s lawyers,” Marcella Scott, an Atlanta criminal attorney said in an interview we had yesterday. Scott went on to say, “Turkey could potentially be at an advantage for U.S. high security  information.”