New details are coming out after news broke Friday that former national security adviser Michael Flynn has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. Flynn had been charged as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
As The Western Journal reported, Mueller said Flynn “willfully and knowingly” made “false, fictitious and fraudulent statements” regarding conversations he had with then-Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak.
Flynn has pleaded guilty to the charge, and has reportedly agreed to “full cooperation” with Mueller’s investigation. He is said to be ready to testify that President Donald Trump told him to contact the Russians in order that the two countries could work together to fight the Islamic State group in Syria, according to ABC News, which cited a confidant of the retired general.
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In the wake of this revelation, Flynn released a statement explaining his guilty plea and accepting “full responsibility” for his actions.
“My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the Special Counsel’s Office reflect a decision I made in the best interests of my family and of our country. I accept full responsibility for my actions,” his statement read.
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Flynn also noted that it had been difficult for him “to endure these many months of false accusations of treason and other outrageous acts.”
“Such false accusations are contrary to everything I have ever done and stood for,” he continued. “But 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.”
According to ABC, Flynn had been feeling as though Trump had abandoned him in recent weeks, and he was concerned about the legal fees that would come if he decided to fight Mueller’s charges.
Former Flynn senior aide and ABC contributor Richard Frankel said Flynn most likely made his choice in the midst of significant pressure.
“I don’t know how much General Flynn knows about any criminal activity that took place during the campaign or in the White House,” said Frankel.
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“However, General Flynn was a top adviser to President Trump in the campaign and a top adviser to him when he entered into the WH so if there are bodies buried so to speak, General Flynn would know about them in my opinion.”
However, White House attorney Ty Cobb said in a statement that Flynn’s guilty plea does not implicate Trump.
“The false statements involved mirror the false statements to White House officials which resulted in (Flynn’s) resignation in February of this year,” Cobb said.
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“Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr. Flynn,” he added.
Flynn could face a five-year prison sentence for lying to the FBI.
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