National

Former senior Trump adviser Michael Flynn moves close to wrapping up cooperation with Mueller

WASHINGTON – Former national security adviser Michael Flynn is close to wrapping up his cooperation agreement with Russia special counsel Robert Mueller, and his attorney has asked for an expedited sentencing hearing when that work is completed.

In his first court appearance since December when he pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, the retired Army lieutenant general did not speak Tuesday. But attorney Robert Kelner said his client is "eager" to move on with his life.

As part of his agreement to plead guilty, Flynn pledged to assist Mueller's prosecutors in the ongoing investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election.

Flynn's cooperation is nearing an end at potentially key juncture in the Russia inquiry, with President Donald Trump's lawyers still sparring over whether they will submit to an interview with Mueller's team and as Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, weighs whether he will cooperate with federal prosecutors investigating his business dealings in a separate federal inquiry. If Cohen agrees to cooperate, whatever relevant information he could provide would likely be shared with Mueller's team.

Sentencing considerations for Flynn, one of Trump's most vocal campaign surrogates, also come as the government prepares for two trials involving former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort.

Manafort sits in a Virginia jail cell awaiting his first trial later this month on bank and tax fraud charges. A related trial has been set in the District of Columbia in September on money laundering charges.

Flynn, whose sentencing proceedings have been postponed at least three times, was a senior adviser on Trump's 2016 campaign and is the highest-ranking associate of the president to be swept up in the Russia inquiry.

It was not immediately clear from Tuesday's brief hearing before U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan what continuing obligation remained before a sentencing hearing could be scheduled in the case.

"General Flynn very much wants to bring this chapter to (an) end," Kelner told Sullivan, as he sought to expedite a required pre-sentence report by federal probation officers in advance of any hearing.

Sullivan said he would consider such a move next month if Flynn had finished his work for Mueller's team.

Flynn pleaded guilty to making false statements to FBI agents, claiming that he did not ask Kislyak to delay a vote on a pending United Nations Security Council resolution critical of Israeli settlements.

Prosecutors also asserted that Flynn lied to agents about a Dec. 29, 2016 conversation about how Russia might respond to sanctions the U.S. government had levied over its election meddling. President Obama imposed those sanctions Dec. 28; the same day, Kislyak contacted Flynn to discuss how the Russian government would respond.

Flynn arrived at the courthouse Tuesday morning with his wife, Lori, where small groups of rival protesters waved signs and  shouted both words of encouragement and derision at the former general.

Some revived a variation of the same chant Flynn led two years ago at the Republican National Convention when he referred to then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

"Lock him up!" some shouted as Flynn's group walked to a waiting car and drove away.