Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser whose speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention segued into the crowd chanting "Lock her up!" in reference to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about conversations he had in December 2016 with a Russian ambassador.
Flynn’s arrest marks the fourth in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
Related: Michael Flynn pleads guilty to lying to FBI in Russia probe: Live updates
Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, and a former business associate, Rick Gates, turned themselves in to authorities in October. The pair face 12 charges, including conspiring against the United States, conspiring to launder money and working as unregistered foreign agents.
Here’s the moment at the RNC when Flynn chanted “lock her up!”
— Michael Del Moro (@MikeDelMoro) December 1, 2017
He now faces five years in prison.pic.twitter.com/Fgz72QymqV
Video of Flynn chanting "lock her up" at the RNC has resurfaced, and some bystanders outside the courthouse where Flynn pleaded guilty have used the phrase against him.
“After over 33 years of military service to our country, including nearly five years in combat away from my family, and then my decision to continue to serve the United States, it has been extraordinarily painful to endure these many months of false accusations of ‘treason’ and other outrageous acts,” Flynn said in a statement Friday. “Such false accusations are contrary to everything I have ever done and stood for. But I recognize that the actions I acknowledged in court today were wrong, and, through my faith in God, I am working to set things right. My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the Special Counsel’s Office reflect a decision I made in the best interests of my family and of our country. I accept full responsibility for my actions.”
Michael Flynn leaves courthouse following guilty plea amid shouts of "Lock him up." https://t.co/Rbf2mbwD7X pic.twitter.com/rg4CoT8Wvh
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) December 1, 2017
Some on Twitter also took aim at Flynn, considering the charges karma.
Didn't #MichaelFlynn lead a #LockHerUp chant at the Republican National Convention? pic.twitter.com/4LKzEjMusw
— i wasnt made to fall in line (@JesseRikart) December 1, 2017
Exclusive Footage of Hillary Clinton upon hearing about Michael Flynn:#MichaelFlynn #LockHerUp #Benghazi #Jesus #BenghaziJesus #MAGA #RussianCollusion pic.twitter.com/djKSFhmYE7
— Jukebox Romeo 🇺🇸 (@FrayedBlueJeans) December 1, 2017
“Today, Michael Flynn, a former National Security Advisor at the White House for 25 days during the Trump Administration, and a former Obama administration official, entered a guilty plea to a single count of making a false statement to the FBI,” the White House said in a statement Friday.
“The false statements involved mirror the false statements to White House officials which resulted in his resignation in February of this year. Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr. Flynn,” the statement continued. The conclusion of this phase of the Special Counsel's work demonstrates again that the Special Counsel is moving with all deliberate speed and clears the way for a prompt and reasonable conclusion.”
Cox Media Group
