WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn has pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI about his contacts with a Russian diplomat.
It’s the first plea by any of the four former advisers to President Donald Trump charged so far in the wide-ranging investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller.
A federal judge says former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn is cooperating with the government in the wide-ranging investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller. Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian ambassador.
U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras said during Flynn’s plea hearing that the government will decide how effectively Flynn is cooperating as part of a plea agreement.
Flynn didn’t speak in court, other than to say he would plead guilty.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is examining possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign to influence the outcome of the 2016 election.
Flynn has been under investigation for a wide range of allegations, including his lobbying work on behalf of Turkey, but the fact that he was charged only with a single count of making false statements suggests he is cooperating with Mueller’s investigation in exchange for leniency.
Court documents show Flynn will admit to lying about his conversations with Russia’s ambassador to the United States during the transition period before Trump’s inauguration. Flynn was an early and vocal supporter on the campaign trail of President Donald Trump whose business dealings and foreign interactions made him a central focus of Mueller’s investigation.
The plea makes the retired Army lieutenant general the first person to have actually worked in the Trump White House to face formal charges in the investigation, which is examining possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign to influence the outcome of the 2016 election.
Prosecutors with the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller say Flynn falsely stated to the FBI that he had not discussed sanctions with the then-Russian ambassador to the United States.
Flynn is the fourth person charged in connection with Mueller’s investigation.
