Flynn helps his case by aiding probe
Mueller urges no jail time for former national security adviser
Special Counsel Robert Mueller has recommended that former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn serve no prison time, citing his “substantial assistance” with several ongoing investigations, according to a new court filing.
Flynn was forced out of his post in February 2017 after the White House said he misled Administration officials, including Vice-President Mike Pence, about his contacts with Sergey Kislyak, Russia’s ambassador to the United States at the time.
Since then, Flynn has been cooperating with Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 campaign, and his full account of events has been one of the best-kept secrets in Washington. He is one of five Donald Trump aides who have pleaded guilty in the Russia probe.
The Special Counsel’s new filing is the first time prosecutors have described Flynn’s assistance since his guilty plea in December 2017. In it, prosecutors said Flynn has assisted with several ongoing investigations — participating in 19 interviews with federal prosecutors.
The filing is heavily redacted, continuing to shroud in secrecy the details of what Flynn told Mueller’s team about his interactions with Trump and other top officials.
But the document noted that Flynn has assisted the Special Counsel with its “investigation concerning links or coordination between the Russian Government and individuals associated with the Trump campaign”. Flynn pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement, despite a longer list of charges he could have faced. Prosecutors said last year they would likely seek a prison sentence of between zero and six months. The generous terms offered indicate that Flynn’s cooperation is viewed as highly useful, legal experts said.
Mueller has been working to determine whether any of Trump’s allies coordinated with Russia or sought help for his campaign. Prosecutors have sought to learn whether Trump urged Flynn’s outreach to the Russian ambassador to signal that the new White House team would go easy on the Kremlin.
During the presidential transition, Flynn had several contacts with Kislyak. In early December 2016, he attended a meeting at Trump Tower, during which Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner proposed to the ambassador setting up a secret communications channel with the Kremlin, according to people briefed on intelligence reports.
Another time Flynn spoke with Kislyak about US sanctions on Russia and other topics, Flynn said in his plea. Flynn told prosecutors he was in touch with senior Trump transition officials before and after his talks with the ambassador.