Gen. Michael Flynn (Photo by the Defense Department via Wikimedia)
Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn has been charged with making false statements to the FBI regarding his contacts with the Russian government. The charging documents — found below — indicate he “willfully and knowingly made materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements.” As reported by the Huffington Post, this represents an “extraordinary development in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.”
Flynn is expected to appear in court today at 10:30 a.m. to plead guilty to the charge. See, Jay Sekulow was wrong about Flynn not cooperating with the Special Counsel’s investigation.
We’ll have more on the story as it develops.
Update 9:51 a.m.: Check out some key reactions from legal Twitter:
Remember: the story isn’t _that_ Michael Flynn is pleading guilty.
It’s what he’s giving Mueller in exchange for such a minor charge (and modest potential sentence).
And we may not know the answer to that for some time, but I have to think it’s substantial…
— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) December 1, 2017
Amazing that the President tried to shut investigation down claiming nothing there, when Flynn is pleading guilty to lying to the FBI re Russians,notably on 1/24/2017, WHILE he was Trump's Natl Security Adviser. Date is critical &part of the plea document. https://t.co/ebHMr8sRuW
— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) December 1, 2017
Contrary to much speculation up until now, Flynn was not charged with anything to do with his lobbying work https://t.co/WTnVp9Nc93
— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) December 1, 2017
Don’t forget Flynn may well have highly incriminating evidence about VPOTUS Mike Pence, who claimed that Flynn misled him about Kislyak. Perhaps Pence wasn’t as clueless as he claims. And we know a sitting VP can be indicted and convicted. Recall Agnew.
— Laurence Tribe ⚖️ (@tribelaw) December 1, 2017
JUST IN: Michael Flynn arrives at court for plea hearing pic.twitter.com/Igi6GuroG4
— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 1, 2017
Flynn admitted lying about contacts with the Russian ambassador in December and also lying in foreign agent registration materials filed in March.
— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) December 1, 2017
Update #2 11:28 a.m.: Yuge revelation — this is what Flynn is expected to testify Donald Trump directed him to reach out to Russians:
https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/936628598819004417
Update #3 11:45 a.m.: The lawyers speak! Ty Cobb issues a statement on Flynn’s plea. As my colleague Elie Mystal said, “The fucking bullshit on these guys.”
WH lawyer Ty Cobb on Flynn: "Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr. Flynn."
Also refers to Flynn as a "former Obama administration official" pic.twitter.com/Se85P4tXd7
— Jordan Fabian (@Jordanfabian) December 1, 2017
[pdfjs-viewer url=”https://abovethelaw.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/12/Flynn-Information.pdf”]
Kathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).