CORRECTION of ABC News Special Report: Flynn prepared to testify that President-elect Donald Trump directed him to make contact with the Russians *during the transition* — initially as a way to work together to fight ISIS in Syria, confidant now says. https://t.co/ewrkVZTu2K pic.twitter.com/URLiHf3uSm
— ABC News (@ABC) December 2, 2017
Former national security adviser Michael Flynn will testify he was directed by Donald Trump to contact the Russians during the presidential transition, ABC News said in a correction.
The network originally reported on Friday that Flynn would testify Trump ordered him to make contact during the 2016 presidential campaign, an implication of Russian interference in the election.
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Flynn did plead guilty on Friday to one count of lying to the FBI about his back-channel negotiations with the Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak before Trump took office.
A source provided ABC News with new details about Trump’s instructions to Flynn. He asked the retired Lt. Gen. after the election to “serve as point person on Russia” to develop strategies to jointly combat ISIS.
Flynn promised “full cooperation” in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
“It has been extraordinarily painful to endure these many months of false accusations of ‘treason’ and other outrageous acts,” Flynn said in a statement. “Such false accusations are contrary to everything I have ever done and stood for. But I recognize that the actions I acknowledged in court (Friday) were wrong, and, through my faith in God, I am working to set things right.”
Photo Credit: Getty / Drew Angerer
