Mueller-Flynn investigation: Special counsel releases key documents of former Trump advisor's FBI interview

'A sitting National Security Adviser, former head of an intelligence agency, retired Lieutenant General, and 33-year veteran of the armed forces knows he should not lie to federal agents,' says filing

Lawyer Alan Dershowitz: Mueller report to be 'devastating' for Donald Trump

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has urged a federal judge to reject an attempt by Michael Flynn “to minimise the seriousness” of him lying to the FBI.

Mr Mueller’s team was responding to a sentencing memo from Flynn’s lawyers criticising the FBI interviews with their client, saying agents did not provide him “with a warning of the penalties” for misleading investigators.

This comes just two days after former lawyer and fixer for Donald Trump, Michael Cohen, was sentenced to three years in jail.

“A sitting National Security Adviser, former head of an intelligence agency, retired Lieutenant General, and 33-year veteran of the armed forces knows he should not lie to federal agents,” Mr Mueller's office said in its court filing.

“He does not need to be warned it is a crime to lie to federal agents to know the importance of telling them the truth.”

Flynn pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to the FBI agents about his conversations with Russia's then-ambassador, Sergei Kislyak, and has been cooperating with Mr Mueller's probe into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion between Moscow and Trump campaign officials.

The FBI interview took place on 24 january 2017, soon after Mr Trump took office.

In the filing Mueller said Flynn lied to the media and senior administration officials in the weeks leading up to the interview, telling them he had not discussed US sanctions against Russia with Mr Kislyak when in fact he had.

“Thus, by the time of the FBI interview, the defendant was committed to his false story,” Mr Mueller's prosecutors wrote.

Mueller's filing was in response to an order by the judge to turn over documents related to the interview.

That order, in turn, followed a sentencing memo earlier this week by Flynn's lawyers in which they argued for leniency.

As mitigating factors, Flynn's lawyers cited both the lack of a warning about lying and a suggestion by then-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe to Flynn that the “quickest way” to conduct the interview was without counsel present.

Reuters

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[15 December 2018 00:06 · Chris Stevenson]

Meanwhile, back at the White House, an official has been talking about why Mr Trump has appointed Mr Mulvaney as the acting chief of staff.

"He's the acting chief of staff, which means he's the chief of staff. He got picked because the president liked him. They get along," the official said.

The official added there was "no time limit" on his appointment.

[15 December 2018 00:19 · Chris Stevenson]

If you want to read the full memo from the special counsel's office that was released today - it is here

[15 December 2018 00:31 · Chris Stevenson]

And here is a longer read on the potential for legal peril facing President Donald Trump.

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[15 December 2018 00:41 · Chris Stevenson]

With that we are closing our coverage for now. Thanks for reading.