1st LD Writethru: Former U.S. National Security Adviser Flynn charged with making false statement to FBI

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. National Security Advisor Michael Flynn has been charged with making false statement to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, A special counsel investigating collision between the Trump administration and Russia said Friday.

"On or about January 24, 2017, defendant Michael T. Flynn did willfully and knowingly made materially false, and fraudulent statements and representations," according to a statement from Robert Mueller's office.

The statement said Flynn made two false statements or representations to the FBI on two occasions, both regarding his contacts with Russia.

Flynn on friday pleaded guilty to those charges at a court in Washington D.C.

Flynn had falsely stated that on or about December 29, 2016, he did not ask the Russian ambassador to the United States to "refrain from escalating the situation in response to sanctions" from the United States and that he did not remember receiving a call from the Russian ambassador notifying him that Russia has decided to moderate Moscow's response at the request of Flynn, the statement concluded.

The special counsel's office found that Flynn also falsely stated that he did not on Dec. 22, 2016 ask the Russian ambassador to the United States to "delay the vote on or defeat a pending United Nations Security Council resolution," and that he did not remember receiving a subsequent call from the Russian side.

The charge marks the first time the Russian probe has reached a member of the Trump administration.

Last month, Mueller's office charged Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort, Manafort's deputy Rick Gates and campaign adviser George Papadopoulos for lying to the FBI, Manafort and Gates pleaded innocent while Papadopoulos admitted to the charges.

Robert Mueller was appointed as a special counsel to probe the alleged collision between the Trump administration and the Russian government on May 17, 2017 by deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Mueller served as the FBI director between 2001 to 2013.

The special counsel office was set up after former FBI director James Comey was fired by Trump on May 9. Comey alleged that in conversations prior to the firing, Trump had asked him to drop investigations into Flynn and demanded loyalty.

Flynn was a former U.S. military general who was picked by Trump as his national security adviser upon winning the election, but was fired on Feb. 13 after allegations of his improper contacts with Russia surfaced. Enditem