A US federal judge on Tuesday told former national security adviser Michael Flynn at a sentencing hearing that he had “sold your country out” and asked prosecutors if his actions rose to the“level of treasonous activity”.
The sentencing was postponed, but not before judge Emmet Sullivan made the stinging rebuke. “Arguably, this undermines everything this flag over here stands for! Arguably, you sold your country out!,” he told the former aide of President Donald Trump, referring to his stint as a lobbyist for the government of Turkey.
“You were an unregistered agent of a foreign country while serving as the national security adviser to the president.” The judge corrected that later, saying Flynn was an agent for a foreign government as part of the Trump campaign and not the administration. He also sought to walk back his comments on treason.
Flynn has pleaded guilty in a deal with Special Counsel Robert Mueller to working as an unregistered agent for the Turkish government and lying to the FBI. He had cooperated extensively with Mueller’s probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 elections.
Just hours ahead of the hearing, Trump defended Flynn publicly and wished him “good luck” in a tweet. In an unrelated case, the president agreed on Tuesday to shut down a charity foundation he had run along with his three elder children amid allegations of impropriety.
Mueller’s team has recommended low to no jail term for Flynn citing extensive cooperation by him, including sitting for 19 separate interviews. But the case turned contentious in recent days after Flynn suggested in court filings he was tricked into lying.
First Published: Dec 19, 2018 07:33 IST
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