Thread: Flynn admits that Trump transition officials directed his contacts with Russians

The Associated Press‏Verified account @AP 9m9 minutes ago More


BREAKING: Ex-Trump adviser Michael Flynn admits in plea that Trump transition officials directed his contacts with the Russians.

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BREAKING NEWS FLYNN FLIPS

Ex-general pleads guilty to lying to FBI in Russia investigation

Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to a single count of making false statements to the FBI, becoming the latest Trump associate ensnared by Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.

Michael Flynn pleads guilty to false-statements charge in Russia probe

By Judson Berger | Fox News

Flynn tells court he intends to plead guilty

Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, is the first Trump ex-White House official to face charges in the Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe.

Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to a single count of making false statements to the FBI, becoming the latest Trump associate ensnared by Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.

He reportedly has agreed to cooperate with the Mueller investigation. Further, the government said in federal court Friday that a “senior member” of the Trump transition team directed Flynn to contact nations including Russia over a United Nations vote – a discussion cited in the charging document Friday.

Flynn entered the plea at a federal court in Washington, D.C., shortly after Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office released a one-count charging document.

The false-statements charge pertains to Flynn's interactions with the Russian ambassador in late December -- specifically discussions about sanctions and other matters he apparently claimed never happened.

Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, becomes the first Trump ex-White House official to face charges in the probe.

His tenure at the White House was brief -- he was fired for similar conduct, pertaining to his undisclosed discussions with the Russians -- and Flynn had been under investigation even before the special counsel probe over lobbying work for Turkey and other issues.

The fact that he faced just one count prompted immediate speculation Friday that Flynn could be cooperating and offering information to Mueller's team.


Michael Flynn has been charged with making false statements. (AP)


"We simply don't know" whether Flynn is giving "deliverables" to Mueller on other Trump associates, constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley said on Fox News' "America's Newsroom."
Flynn is accused of "willfully and knowingly" making the false statements to the FBI while serving in the Trump administration.
Video
Judge Napolitano: What does Flynn have that Mueller wants?

According to the charging document, those false statements were that:

• "On or about Dec 29, 2016, FLYNN did not ask the Government of Russia’s Ambassador to the United States ... to refrain from escalating the situation in response to sanctions that the United States had imposed against Russia that same day; and FLYNN did not recall the Russian Ambassador subsequently telling him that Russia had chosen to moderate its response to those sanctions as a result of his request."
• "On or about December 22, 2016, FLYNN did not ask the Russian Ambassador to delay the vote on or defeat a pending United Nations Security Council resolution; and that the Russian Ambassador subsequently never described to FLYNN Russia’s response to his request.”

Democrats used the development to up the pressure on Republicans to give the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election space to proceed.

"This time, the president can’t get away with claiming these charges aren’t about his inner circle’s contacts with Russia, and he can’t dismiss Michael Flynn as some low-level aide," Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said in a statement.
Flynn is the fourth person charged in connection with Mueller's investigation.

Mueller's team announced charges last month against three other Trump campaign officials: former chairman Paul Manafort and his business associate Rick Gates, and a former foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos.

A Flynn plea deal had been rumored ever since his attorneys informed President Trump's legal team they could no longer discuss the investigation.

The move prompted speculation Flynn might be cooperating with Mueller's investigators and discussing a deal.

Flynn, who was interviewed by the FBI just days after Trump's inauguration, was forced to resign in February after White House officials said he had misled them about whether he had discussed sanctions with the ambassador, Sergey Kislyak.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017...sia-probe.html

Mueller might be the one who’s ‘draining the swamp’

Further, the government said in federal court Friday that a “senior member” of the Trump transition team directed Flynn to contact nations including Russia over a United Nations vote – a discussion cited in the charging document Friday.

So several nations were contacted over a UN vote. That is getting away from the trump-russia election meddling. mueller should start investigating hillary-russia dealings -uranium, $500k hubby's speech.

FOX News has been speculating on this all afternoon. Everyone seems to be rushing to judgement through speculation. Everything I'm reading and hearing up to this point, I'm taking with a grain of salt. Up to this point only bits and pieces have been offered to the news media. Think I'll wait for the whole story.

Sources: Kushner was the 'very senior' transition member mentioned in court filing

By Dana Bash, Jim Sciutto, Gloria Borger and Daniella Diaz, CNN
Updated 4:52 PM ET, Fri December 1, 2017

CNN) Jared Kushner is the "very senior member" of President Donald Trump's transition team who directed incoming national security adviser Michael Flynn to contact the Russian ambassador to the United States and other countries about a UN Security Council vote on Israeli settlements, sources familiar with the matter tell CNN.

The court filings from Flynn's plea hearing Friday say a "very senior member" of Trump's transition team asked Flynn to contact officials from UN Security Council countries, including Russia, to learn where each country stood on the vote on a resolution condemning Israeli settlement activity.

An attorney for Kushner did not respond to a request for comment.
A person familiar with the transition's effort on the UN vote said it was well-known and a collaborative effort by various transition officials, including Reince Priebus, Steve Bannon, Flynn and Kushner, adding that none of them "ordered" or "directed" the others and all were working towards the same goal of standing by Israel.

The court documents provide the clearest picture yet of coordination between Flynn and other Trump advisers in contacting Russian officials to influence international policy.

Flynn faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, according to federal sentencing guidelines, though the judge Friday morning stressed he could impose a harsher or lighter sentence.

Kushner met earlier this month with special counsel Robert Mueller's team as part of the investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election, according to two people familiar with the meeting.

"Mr. Kushner has voluntarily cooperated with all relevant inquiries and will continue to do so," Abbe Lowell, Kushner's lawyer, told CNN on Wednesday.

The conversation lasted less than 90 minutes, one person familiar with the meeting said, adding that Mueller's team asked Kushner to clear up some questions he was asked by lawmakers and details that emerged through media reports. One source said the nature of the conversation was principally to make sure Kushner doesn't have information that exonerates Flynn.

CNN's Evan Perez contributed to this report.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/01/politi...sia/index.html

Flynn to testify that Trump directed him to make contact with Russians

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• Ex-Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn's sentencing delayed again
  
  A hearing to sentence former national security adviser Michael Flynn on charges of lying to the FBI has been delayed yet again – a sign that Flynn could still be cooperating in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe.
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