REPORT: Michael Flynn Lied To The FBI About Talking Sanction With Russian Ambassador
The Washington Post is reporting that Donald Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn lied to FBI agents about discussing sanctions with the Russian ambassador. Flynn’s interview with the FBI contradicts the information that has been gathered by U.S. intelligence agencies, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
The report by the Washington Post raises the stakes in the Trump0-Russia scandal because lying to the FBI is a felony, meaning it is possible for Flynn to be charged with a crime for lying to the FBI.
The Washington Post said, “Former national security adviser Michael Flynn denied to FBI agents in an interview last month that he had discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with that country’s ambassador to the United States before President Trump took office, contradicting the contents of intercepted communications collected by intelligence agencies, current and former U.S. officials said.
The Jan. 24 interview potentially puts Flynn in legal jeopardy, as lying to the FBI is a felony, but any decision to prosecute would ultimately lie with the Justice Department. Some officials said bringing a case could prove difficult in part because Flynn may attempt to parse the definition of sanctions.”
Two days after Flynn’s interview with the FBI, former acting attorney general Sally Yates informed the White House counsel about Flynn’s intercepted phone call because of fear that Flynn could be compromised and/or blackmailed by Russia over the phone call.
The Washington Post report also noted that, “Senior Justice and intelligence officials who have reviewed the phone call thought Flynn’s statements to Kislyak were inappropriate, if not illegal, because he suggested that the Kremlin could expect a reprieve from the sanctions.”
