Michael Flynn, a highly decorated US General and former National Security Advisor to US President Donald Trump, today receives his sentence for lied to federal FBI investigators.
Who is General Flynn?
Flynn, 59, comes from a politically close to the Democrats family. However, he was already a fervent supporter of Trump in the US election campaign of 2016, and in recent years a staunch opponent of US President Barack Obama.
REUTERS
Donald Trump, Michael Flynn, 2016
The retired three-star general spoke out during his work as a Trump consultant, which lasted from 22 January to 13 February 2017, for a break with Russia and has performed several times on Russia's state TV channel Russia Today , In Russian media he was already referred to as "probably Trump's most important connection with Putin".
So it was obvious that special investigator Robert Mueller, who is investigating possible cooperation between the Trump campaign team and Russia, has been interested in Flynn since the beginning of the investigation.
Flynn is also controversial because of his radical attitude to Islam. He considers Islam a political ideology, not a religion. Once he tweeted to a video: "Fear of Islam is RATIONAL."
He was director of the Military Intelligence Agency Defense Intelligence Agency from 2012 to 2014, then he was released. Flynn claims he has been retired for having given inconvenient truths about the fight against Islamic extremists.
What did Flynn do?
During the transition period between the election and inauguration of US President Donald Trump, in December 2016, Flynn met several times the Russian ambassador to Washington, Sergey I. Kislyak. Flynn was in Trump's transition team at that time, preparing the prelude to the presidency. It was this that cost Flynn his job just 23 days after he took over the job as National Security Advisor at the White House. Later he lied to FBI agents about the talks with Kislyak. Vice President Mike Pence also made false statements to Flynn at the meetings.
What role did Flynn play in Mueller's Russia investigation?
Following Flynn's admission of guilt a year ago, Special Investigator Mueller said Flynn had "substantially" contributed to his investigation into alleged links between Trump's campaign team and Russia. Mueller was therefore in favor of a detention that there was no reason for imprisonment.
AP / Sputnik
Flynn next to Vladimir Putin at the anniversary of the Russian international channel "Russia Today" 2015
What penalties does Flynn's lawyer team hope for?
Flynn's lawyers have joined Mueller's punishment recommendation. They also demand a detention for their client. Your offer instead: A maximum of one conviction to one year probation on probation "with minimal conditions for monitoring". In addition: 200 hours of social work.
The false statements of her client would amount to an "uncharacteristic misjudgment". The lawyers reiterated that Flynn's cooperation was neither "reluctant" nor "belated".
Does the former intelligence chief and senior military have to go to jail?
That is uncertain. On Monday, a new document was released in which, according to a report in the "New York Times" new details about the offense are said to have Flynn already pleaded guilty half a year ago.
According to Flynn, in an interview with the Russian ambassador in December 2016, he inter alia urged Russia to change its vote at the UN in connection with a resolution on Israel. He told FBI officials during his interrogation that it was all about finding out "where Russia is in the question." Lying federal agents is a criminal offense that can be punished with up to six months imprisonment.