Former U.S. national security adviser Michael Flynn has been charged with making false statements to the FBI, according to a court filing made public on December 1.
According to the charges, Flynn "willfully and knowingly" lied when he told the FBI he had not discussed sanctions with Sergei Kislyak, then the Russian ambassador to the United States, during the transition period between the November 8, 2016, presidential election and Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20, 2017.
According to media reports, Flynn was expected to plead guilty in a plea hearing set for 10:30 a.m. in Washington, D.C.
Flynn resigned as Trump's national security adviser in February, after serving just 24 days, after it was revealed he misled Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with Kislyak.
Justice Department Special Counsel Robert Mueller is leading an investigation into contacts between the Trump campaign and other Trump surrogates and Russian government agents.
Flynn is the fourth person to be criminally charged in connection with the investigation, following former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, Manafort business associate Rick Gates, and former Trump foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos.
In January, U.S. intelligence agencies issued a finding that the Russian government had conducted a concerted campaign to influence the 2016 election in favor of Trump.
