Mike Flynn Jr. Forced Out of Trump Transition Amid Fake-News Controversy

Donald Trump's team said today that Michael Flynn Jr. - the son of Trump's pick for national security adviser, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn - was forced out of the transition efforts amid controversy over a fake news story that he pushed on Twitter.

"The younger Michael Flynn was helping his father with some administration and scheduling duties early on in the transition process," Trump team spokesman Jason Miller said, adding that Michael Flynn Jr. is "no longer involved with the transition efforts."

The decision came from Trump himself, two transition officials said. Flynn Jr. is accused of pushing the "Pizzagate" conspiracy theory in a flood of tweets Sunday and Monday, prompted by an incident involving gunfire at the Comet Ping Pong pizzeria in Washington, D.C.

The suspect in that case, Edgar Welch, allegedly went to the eatery to investigate a fake news story involving Hillary Clinton and campaign manager John Podesta.

"Until #Pizzagate proven to be false, it'll remain a story. The left seems to forget #PodestaEmails and the many "coincidences" tied to it," Flynn Jr. said in one of his tweets.

Welch, 28, allegedly drove to Washington from Salisbury, North Carolina, to investigate "Pizzagate" and fired one shot from an assault rifle inside the restaurant, sending patrons fleeing. There were no reports of injuries.

D.C. police called the Comet Ping Pong story "a fictitious online conspiracy theory" in a statement and charged Welch with assault.

It was unclear whether Welch has entered a plea.

Michael Flynn Sr. has also used his social media as a platform to promote fake news stories involving Clinton. He has not commented on his tweets.