Former Trump aide Flynn 'wasn't acting as a rogue agent' in Russia contacts: Rep. Schiff

Schiff said he thinks Flynn will incriminate other administration officials.

ByABC News
December 3, 2017, 10:16 AM

— -- Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s plea deal over lying to the FBI shows he was not acting on his own when he communicated with Russian officials, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said.

"I think that in his factual basis for the plea he sets out that he wasn’t acting as a rogue agent, that, in fact, he was acting at the knowledge and direction of people who were senior members of the transition team," Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California told ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on “This Week” Sunday. "I think it indicates, to me at least, that this is not the end of it, by any means."

Schiff said Flynn’s plea agreement suggests that Special Counsel Robert Mueller believes the retired lieutenant general and former Trump aide has information valuable to the special counsel's probe of Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion by Trump associates.

The fact that Flynn pleaded guilty to only one offense when he potentially could have faced more charges "does tell me, as a former prosecutor, that, given the much broader universe of potential liability here, that Bob Mueller must have concluded that he was getting a lot of value in terms of Gen. Flynn’s cooperation," Schiff said.

Stephanopoulos asked Schiff if he believes Flynn will give testimony incriminating to President Trump.

Schiff replied that he isn't sure, but expects that the former national security adviser will incriminate other Trump administration officials.

"I do believe he will incriminate others in the administration. Otherwise, there was no reason for Bob Mueller to give Mike Flynn this kind of a deal where even on a factual basis you can see there are other kinds of crimes that could have been charged," Schiff said. "Whether that will lead, ultimately, to the president, I simply don’t know."

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