A former spokesman for former President Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaGOP senator blocks Schumer resolution aimed at Biden probe as tensions run high D-Day for Trump: September 29 Obama says making a voting plan is part of 'how to quarantine successfully' MORE’s Justice Department on Friday panned White House press secretary Sean Spicer’s defense of ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Spicer is acting as if the FBI & WH counsel's ofc don't do any vetting of applicants & it's all on the person to disclose things. Ridiculous — Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) March 10, 2017

Spicer said Friday that President Trump was unaware that Flynn needed to register as a foreign agent due to his lobbying work on behalf of Turkey before becoming national security adviser.

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"No," Spicer said during his daily press briefing when asked if Trump had knowledge of the arrangement.

"This was a personal matter; it's not a business matter," Spicer added. "It's not something that would be appropriate for a government entity to give someone guidance on when they should file as a private citizen."

Flynn on Wednesday disclosed lobbying work he did that could have benefited the government of Turkey in a retroactive Department of Justice registration. It said the now-defunct Flynn Intel Group received $530,000 from Inovo BV from last August to mid-November.

Inovo BV is a privately owned consulting firm in the Netherlands and run by Turkish businessman Kamil Alptekin since last August.

Alptekin, who founded Inovo in 2005, is the chairman of the Turkish-American Business Council, which is connected to the Foreign Relations Board of Turkey.

Flynn’s former firm registered Wednesday as its work “could be construed to have principally benefitted the Republic of Turkey.”

Reports emerged earlier Friday Trump’s transition team was told Flynn likely needed to register as a foreign agent, appearing to contradict White House claims Trump was unaware of his past lobbying work.

Flynn resigned from his national security adviser role in February amid revelations that he misled Vice President Mike Pence Michael (Mike) Richard PenceGOP short of votes on Trump's controversial Fed pick Pence seeks to boost Daines in critical Montana Senate race The Hill's Campaign Report: Trump's rally risk | Biden ramps up legal team | Biden hits Trump over climate policy MORE and other administration officials about contacts with Russia’s ambassador.

Flynn reportedly spoke with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak after Trump won the election but before he took office.