A 2017 memo summarizing the special counsel’s interview with former national security adviser Michael Flynn – a moment which prompted the criminal case against Flynn – has been released.
In the interview detailed in Robert Mueller’s memo, the former national security adviser lied to investigators about his contacts with the ex-Russian ambassador to the U.S. during the 2016 presidential campaign. The recently released memo clearly demonstrates how Flynn denied making policy requests of Russia.
The document provides greater insight into what Flynn told FBI agents during the interview in January 2017. He later pleaded guilty to lying to investigators in that interview and about his lobbying for the Turkish government, CNN writes.
Although Flynn would normally face up to six months in prison for such an offense, the special counsel’s team has recommended that he be given no prison sentence due to his substantial assistance to the investigation.
President Donald Trump has attacked the Mueller investigation for allegedly pursuing Flynn despite the FBI not determining that he lied to them. However, the memo released Monday does not say the FBI agents made any determinations at that time.
A separate memo released last week by the special counsel’s office details how the bureau had knowledge of Flynn’s conversation with the ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, before the agency approached him in the West Wing.
The January 2017 memo also describes how Flynn told FBI agents he hadn’t sought to influence Russia’s vote on a United Nations Security Council resolution about Israeli settlements when in fact he had, as investigators knew at the time. Another lie Flynn had told, according to the memo, pertains to his discussion with Kislyak regarding Russia’s response to the U.S.’ expulsion of Russian diplomats or closing Russian properties following the Kremlin’s interference in the 2016 election.
Even though Flynn said he didn’t remember telling the ambassador not to escalate Russia’s response to the U.S.’ move, the FBI knew he had.
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