President Donald Trump tweeted Saturday that it is a “shame” that former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn lied to the FBI and Vice President Mike Pence.
Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to lying to the FBI about the content of December phone calls with the Russian ambassador to the United States.
According to special counsel Robert Mueller’s statement of offense, Flynn spoke to Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak about a United Nations Security Council vote that would condemn Israel and about sanctions imposed by the Obama administration over Russian election interference.
“I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful,” Trump wrote. “There was nothing to hide!”
Earlier Saturday, Trump told reporters he isn’t concerned about the charges against Flynn. (RELATED: Trump Says He’s Not Worried That Flynn Is Cooperating With Mueller)
“What has been shown is no collusion, no collusion. There has been absolutely no collusion, so we’re very happy.”
Flynn is the fourth former Trump campaign official to have been charged due to Mueller’s wide-ranging probe into Russian election interference.