You don’t need leaks of classified information to understand why Flynn’s dealings with an aggressive Russia were inappropriate. You just need to look at the public record.

The seriousness of Russia’s assault on America first became clear on Oct. 7, when the intelligence community released a statement charging that “Russia’s senior-most officials” (meaning President Vladimir Putin) had launched a cyberattack “intended to interfere with the U.S. election process.”

Intelligence officials had been briefing members of Congress about the Russian activities since the summer. Adam B. Schiff (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, had pushed the White House since September to respond, to no avail. FBI Director James B. Comey, meanwhile, had decided against disclosing the bureau’s own preelection investigation of possible links between Russia and the Trump campaign.

So on Election Day, the public wasn’t aware of the growing belief among intelligence analysts that Russian hackers were trying to help Trump and hurt his rival, Hillary Clinton. That judgment was shared many weeks after the election, in a Jan. 6 report that said Russia sought to “denigrate Secretary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency” and that the Kremlin “developed a clear preference” for Trump.