Michael Flynn, Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, has been so cooperative in several special counsel investigations, including its probe of Russian interference in the 2016 US elections, that it’s recommending a light sentence that avoids jail time.
A memo and a heavily redacted addendum from the office of special counsel Robert Mueller were released today (Nov. 4), providing a glimpse of Flynn’s cooperation, including sitting down for 19 interviews with the office or other Department of Justice attorneys and providing documents to them.
“Given the defendant’s substantial assistance and other considerations set forth below, a sentence at the low end of the guideline range—including a sentence that does not impose a term of incarceration—is appropriate and warranted,” read the memo. The filing noted that according to the US probation office’s calculations, the sentencing-guideline range for Flynn, given his offense and criminal history, is zero to six months in jail.
Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in the Russia probe last December, is due to be sentenced on Dec. 18.
The information Flynn provided included “firsthand information” about the interactions between Trump’s transition team and Russian government officials, as detailed in the addendum. He admitted to communicating with the Russian ambassador to the US as a representative of the transition team regarding two issues: a UN Security Council vote on a resolution calling for Israel to cease settlement activities in Palestinian territory, and the Obama administration’s sanctions on Russia.
Read the filings below: