Mike Flynn pleads guilty in Russia investigation

Donald Trump's former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn has pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador during the presidential transition.

He becomes the most senior figure in Donald Trump's orbit to be charged as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Mr Flynn was fired as National Security Adviser after just 23 days for misleading Vice President Mike Pence about his meetings with the Russian Ambassador.

Harry Horton reports from Washington



IN: (UPSOT) "Lock her up!!!!"

OUT: SOC

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SCRIPT:

(UPSOT MIKE FLYNN)

It was Mike Flynn who led calls at the 2016 Republican convention to prosecute Hillary Clinton over her use of a private email server...

(UPSOT MIKE FLYNN)

Fast forward 15 months, and Mike Flynn arrived at a federal court in Washington DC to plead guilty to making "false, fictitious and fradulent statements" to the FBI in a January meeting.

Mr Flynn said in a statement his guilty plea and decision to co-operate with the special counsel's investigation were made "in the best interests of his family and  country."

This was no low-level campaign official - Mike Flynn played a crucial role in the Donald Trump's election and was appointed national security adviser - one of the most senior positions in the administration.

Democratic Senator Mark Warner, who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee also investigating the 2016 election, says he thinks it's interesting that Mike Flynn only faced one charge.

CLIP

Court documents suggest there is more to come too. Prosecutors say Mike Flynn was directed by a "very senior member of the presidential transition team" to influence foreign governments to vote against a UN Security Council resolution.

Multiple US media outlets named that very sernior official as Jared Kushner, son-in-law of the President and senior adviser in the White House.

President Trump's lawyer insisted on Friday "nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr Flynn".

But as Mike Flynn left the courthouse to cries from protesters of "lock him up" - the political damage and possible legal ramifications too, looked very grim for the White House.