Flynn’s Deputy Testimony at Odds with Court Documents

Former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s deputy, K.T. McFarland, told a Senate committee that she was unaware of any interaction between Flynn and the Russian ambassador.

However, documents obtained by CNN indicate that her statement contradicts a court filing unsealed on Friday when Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. The court documents detailing the charge against him show that he spoke to a senior transition team official as to what to discuss with Kislyak. McFarland was the official who Flynn spoke to, according to CNN.

“Did you ever discuss any of General Flynn’s contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak directly with General Flynn?” Senator Cory Booker asked McFarland in July in written correspondence with the committee.

McFarland responded that she was “not aware of any of the issues or events as described above.”

Ben Cardin, member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, believes that ‘’McFarland should publicly clarify the information she said and sent the committee that now appears to be incomplete,’’ before the full Senate votes on her nomination for ambassador to Singapore.

McFarland came under more scrutiny after it was discovered that she knew of a December 29 phone call between Flynn and the Russian ambassador. In it, Flynn urges Moscow to be cautious in its response to the sanctions imposed by Former President Barack Obama for Russia’s meddling in the election.

According to The New York Times, McFarland also wrote an email to another transition official only hours before the phone call took place, in which she talks about Obama’s decision to expel 35 Russian diplomats and claims “Trump will have difficulty improving relations with Russia which has just thrown the USA election to him.”

Due to the email, Democrats have called for McFarland to testify before the congressional Russia committees and special counsel Robert Mueller.

“Ms. McFarland needs to come in, and not just testify in front of Mueller, but testify in front of the congressional committees,” Democrat Mark Warner said.