Bloomberg: Former US National Security Advisor Pleads Guilty

The retired US general who campaigned for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and served as the administration’s first national security adviser is pleading guilty to a single charge of lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation about communications with the Russian ambassador. Lying to the FBI is a federal felony with a five-year prison term. “The charge against [Michael] Flynn, 58, adds another prominent defendant to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation,” reports Bloomberg. “Mueller has already secured indictments against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his deputy, as well as a guilty plea from a junior foreign policy adviser.” A series of negotiated plea deals with limited charges and delays in sentencing suggest that the defendants could offer evidence to target other US officials. The charge does not cover other aspects of the investigation including an alleged plan by Flynn to arrange extradition of a Turkish dissident cleric as well as payments from Russia media and Kaspersky Government Security. The investigation is also looking at Russian intervention duriing the US presidential election and possible collusion by Trump supporters. Former US President Barack had appointed Flynn as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, then fired him in 2014. Obama and other US justice officials cautioned the new administration about Flynn, who was later fired as national security advisor. – YaleGlobal

Bloomberg: Former US National Security Advisor Pleads Guilty

Michael Flynn, Trump administration’s first national security advisor, in court to plead guilty to felony charge of lying to Federal Bureau of Investigation
David Kocieniewski and Greg Farrell
Friday, December 1, 2017
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