It Looks Like Michael Flynn Is Preparing to Testify against Trump
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To call this enormous would be an understatement. From ABC News:
.@GStephanopoulos: Michael Flynn “has pleaded guilty to charges of giving false statements to the FBI. That would suggest he is now cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller.” https://t.co/cBjd9Uk81ypic.twitter.com/iHD72oPrtM
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) December 1, 2017
Earlier today, news came in that Michael Flynn was charged with lying to the FBI about conversations he had with the Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak last December, following Trump’s victory.
Per the NYTimes:
Mr. Flynn’s lawyers recently told the president’s legal team that they could no longer discuss the special counsel’s investigation as they had been — a sign that Mr. Flynn had decided to cooperate with the prosecution. The investigation has dogged Mr. Trump’s first year in office.
But it gets even more specific:
ABC News’ @BrianRoss reports that Flynn is prepared to testify President Trump directed him to make contact with Russians https://t.co/Mtt1n8DYi0
— Joy Lin (@joyindc) December 1, 2017
And:
BREAKING: Flynn will testify AGAINST Donald Trump!pic.twitter.com/hkB8xEhW9i
— AmpliFire News (@amplifirenews_) December 1, 2017
It looks like Flynn was facing enormous legal fees, and was in “serious financial problems”—all of which led him to decide to cooperate within the last 24 hours. As Bill Kristol points out, the fact that there’s a plea deal at all means the information must be significant:
The story isn’t the particular count Flynn agreed to plead guilty to. The story is Flynn has flipped on Trump. We have no idea what’s in the proffer and what he’s been telling Mueller about—but it must be significant for Mueller to have made the deal.
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) December 1, 2017
More to come, clearly…