WaPo: Flynn Denied To FBI That He Discussed Sanctions With Russia

Michael Flynn, National Security Advisor to U.S. President Donald J. Trump, attends a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 10 February 2017 .Photo by Oli... Michael Flynn, National Security Advisor to U.S. President Donald J. Trump, attends a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 10 February 2017 .Photo by Olivier Douliery/Abaca(Sipa via AP Images) MORE LESS
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Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn denied in a January interview with the FBI that he discussed sanctions with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, according to a Washington Post report published Thursday.

Flynn’s denial contradicted intercepted communications collected by intelligence agencies, according to the report.

“We have no comment on the report,” FBI spokesman Andrew C. Ames wrote in an email to TPM.

Flynn resigned late Monday, days after reports revealed that he spoke about Obama-era sanctions in a call with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak before President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

This contradicted members of Trump’s administration, including Pence, who previously denied that Flynn and Kislyak talked about sanctions on the call.

If Flynn lied to the FBI, he could be subject to felony charges. But NBC News’ Pete Williams reported Wednesday that the FBI does not believe Flynn will “face legal jeopardy.”

During an impromptu press conference Thursday, Trump said that he did not direct Flynn to discuss sanctions with Kislyak. The President said it “certainly would have been OK” with him in Flynn did. In fact, Trump said he would have encouraged it.

“What he did wasn’t wrong,” Trump said. “I didn’t direct him, but I would have directed him if he didn’t do it, OK?”

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