Flynn pleads guilty to lying to FBI; Russian probe continues
By Carly Cundiff
Former National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump, Michael Flynn, pleaded guilty on Friday, Dec. 1 to charges that he lied to the FBI about contacts with the Russian government, according to The New York Times. This is the first time that Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election has gone into Trump’s inner circle.
Federal prosecutors allege that Flynn “did willfully and knowingly make materially false, fictitious and fraudulent statements” to FBI agents during a Jan. 24 meeting to discuss his connections with the Russian government, according to USA Today.
“I recognize that the actions I acknowledged in court today were wrong, and, through my faith in God, I am working to set things right. My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the Special Counsel’s Office reflects a decision I made in the best interests of my family and of our country. I accept full responsibility for my actions,” Flynn said in a statement after announcing his guilty plea.
Flynn also stated that, as a part of his guilty plea, he will cooperate with any and all questioning from federal authorities. This includes any questions involving the firing of James Comey, which Trump opponents say was obstruction of justice because Trump was deliberately trying to keep Comey from investigating any Russian ties.
In court on Friday, prosecutors stated that at least some of Flynn’s contacts with Russian officials had been facilitated by a “senior member of the presidential transition.”
Flynn resigned from his position in early February after it was reported that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence about his relationship and conversations with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak prior to the election, according to CNN.
Trump slammed the Department of Justice and the FBI in a weekend tweet storm.
“I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the vice president and the FBI,” Trump tweeted Saturday morning. “He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!”
This particular tweet raised a lot of interest, as it seems to suggest that Trump knew about Flynn’s lies but did not report it to the congressional investigation, according to CNN.
However, the White House is maintaining their innocence in the ongoing investigation.
“Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr. Flynn,” said Ty Cobbs, the lawyer working with the Trump team and the Russian inquiry.
Lying to the FBI carries a penalty of up to five years in jail but court documents indicate that Flynn will likely face zero to six months. Still, Flynn has not been formally charged yet, indicated that the FBI and other federal authorities are not done questioning him, according to The New York Times.
Editor’s Note: Information from The New York Times, USA Today and CNN was used in this report.
