{"slug":"trump-first-term-michael-flynn-lies-pardon","title":"Michael Flynn: National Security Adviser Lied to FBI, Trump Pressured Comey, Flynn Pardoned","date":"2017-01-24","lastUpdated":"2020-11-25","description":"Michael Flynn served as Trump's National Security Adviser for 24 days before resigning on February 13, 2017 after it emerged he had lied to Vice President Pence about his December 2016 conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Flynn had discussed sanctions with Kislyak during the presidential transition — potentially violating the Logan Act — and then lied to FBI agents who interviewed him on January 24, 2017. He pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in December 2017. Trump subsequently asked FBI Director Comey to drop the Flynn investigation. Flynn's case became central to the Mueller investigation. Trump pardoned Flynn on November 25, 2020.","summary":"Flynn's conversations with Kislyak on December 29, 2016 — the day President Obama announced sanctions against Russia for election interference — were intercepted by U.S. intelligence. Flynn told Pence the conversations had not touched on sanctions; Pence publicly repeated that claim. After the Washington Post reported Flynn had indeed discussed sanctions, Flynn resigned. On January 27, 2017, Trump told Comey at a one-on-one dinner that he hoped Comey could let the Flynn investigation go. Comey did not drop it. Trump fired Comey on May 9, 2017. Flynn pleaded guilty December 1, 2017. His cooperation with Mueller provided significant intelligence about the transition period. Trump pardoned Flynn in November 2020, after Flynn had withdrawn his guilty plea.","category":"rule-of-law","severity":"critical","ongoing":false,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/13/us/politics/donald-trump-national-security-adviser-michael-flynn.html","title":"Michael Flynn Resigns as National Security Adviser","publisher":"The New York Times"},{"url":"https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-asked-comey-to-shut-down-flynn-investigation/2017/05/16/story.html","title":"Trump asked Comey to shut down Flynn investigation","publisher":"The Washington Post"},{"url":"https://apnews.com/article/flynn-guilty-plea-lied-fbi-russia","title":"Flynn pleads guilty to lying to FBI about Russian contacts","publisher":"The Associated Press"},{"url":"https://www.justice.gov/archives/sco/file/1373816/download","title":"Mueller Report Volume I — Flynn investigation","publisher":"U.S. Department of Justice / Special Counsel"}],"draft":false,"status":"published","tags":["Flynn","Comey","first-term","rule-of-law","Mueller","Russia","obstruction","pardon"],"relatedEntries":[],"timeline":[{"date":"2016-12-29","title":"Flynn calls Kislyak — discusses sanctions on day Obama announces them","summary":"Flynn calls Russian Ambassador Kislyak multiple times on December 29, 2016, the same day President Obama announces sanctions against Russia for election interference. The calls are intercepted by U.S. intelligence. Flynn discusses the sanctions. He subsequently misleads Vice President Pence about the calls' content."},{"date":"2017-01-15","title":"Pence publicly denies Flynn discussed sanctions — based on Flynn's false account","summary":"Vice President Pence tells Face the Nation that Flynn and Kislyak 'did not discuss anything having to do with the United States' decision to expel diplomats or impose censure against Russia.' Pence is relying on Flynn's false account of the calls."},{"date":"2017-01-24","title":"FBI interviews Flynn — he lies to agents","summary":"FBI agents, including Peter Strzok, interview Flynn at the White House about his Kislyak conversations. Flynn lies, telling them the conversations did not touch on sanctions. This false statement forms the basis of his eventual guilty plea."},{"date":"2017-01-27","title":"Trump tells Comey he hopes Flynn matter can be let go","summary":"Trump invites Comey to a one-on-one dinner at the White House. Trump tells Comey he hopes Comey can let the Flynn investigation go. Comey later describes this conversation in Senate testimony. He does not drop the investigation."},{"date":"2017-02-13","title":"Flynn resigns after Washington Post reports he misled Pence","summary":"The Washington Post reports that Flynn did discuss sanctions with Kislyak and misled Pence. Flynn resigns as National Security Adviser after 24 days in office. The Department of Justice had warned the White House weeks earlier that Flynn's false account had made him potentially vulnerable to Russian blackmail."},{"date":"2017-05-09","title":"Trump fires Comey — cites Russia investigation as factor","summary":"Trump fires FBI Director Comey. He subsequently tells NBC News that 'this Russia thing' was on his mind when he made the decision. The firing becomes a central element of the Mueller obstruction investigation."},{"date":"2017-12-01","title":"Flynn pleads guilty to lying to FBI","summary":"Flynn pleads guilty to one count of making false statements to federal investigators. He agrees to cooperate with the Special Counsel's investigation. He participates in 19 subsequent interviews with federal investigators."},{"date":"2020-11-25","title":"Trump pardons Flynn — broad pardon covers future charges","summary":"Trump pardons Flynn on November 25, 2020, less than two months before leaving office. The pardon covers offenses Flynn committed through the date of the pardon — a formulation broad enough to cover charges beyond the pleaded offense. Flynn had by this point withdrawn his guilty plea and alleged FBI misconduct."}],"location":{"name":"Washington, D.C.","lat":38.9072,"lng":-77.0369},"custom":{"era":"first-term","posture":"judicial-finding","warCrimeClassification":"enabling","internationalLaw":[],"iccRelevance":false,"victims":"U.S. rule of law and the integrity of counterintelligence investigations; FBI personnel conducting a legitimate investigation who were subject to political pressure to abandon it; American public whose government's conduct toward Russia was obscured by false statements","structuredPerpetrators":[{"name":"Donald Trump","role":"President; asked FBI Director Comey to drop the Flynn investigation at a one-on-one dinner; later fired Comey; subsequently pardoned Flynn after Flynn had pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents","institution":"White House"},{"name":"Michael Flynn","role":"National Security Adviser (24 days); lied to Vice President Pence about his Kislyak conversations; lied to FBI agents on January 24, 2017; pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to FBI","institution":"White House / Defense Intelligence Agency (former)"}],"updateLog":[{"date":"2020-11-25","summary":"Updated with November 2020 pardon."}]}}