WASHINGTON _ Former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn will appear in federal court Friday after being charged with making false statements to federal officials.
A U.S. government document released by the office of special counsel Robert Mueller said Flynn has been indicted for making "materially false, fictitious and fraudulent statements" to federal officials. He is due in a federal court in Alexandria, Va., at 10:30 a.m. on Friday.
The retired Army three-star general, who also was fired from his Defense Intelligence Agency director post by the Obama administration, was fired by President Donald Trump after just 24 days on the job. Trump contended he let Flynn go for lying to Vice President Mike Pence; others have said it was due to ongoing Justice Department and congressional investigations of possible ties between Trump's 2016 campaign and the Kremlin.
Flynn brought to the campaign then the White House a list of questionable decisions, many involving his ties to Russian officials as a general-turned-consultant. Flynn served less than 25 days as Trump's first White House national security adviser before the president claimed he fired him for misleading Pence.
House Democrats have pressed for their Republican counterparts to subpoena the White House for documents they allege will show Flynn's "egregious conflicts of interest" due to his business dealings with foreign governments. One is Turkey. Another is Russia.
"We believe this paper trail must be pursued to answer the gravest question of all: Did Gen. Flynn seek to change the course of our country's national security to benefit the same private interests he previously promoted, whether by advising President Trump, interacting with foreign officials, or influencing other members of the Trump administration?" House Oversight ranking member Elijah E. Cummings wrote in a recent letter to panel Chairman Trey Gowdy that featured nearly 20 other Democratic signatures.
