WASHINGTON (AP) — Michael Flynn may have given extraordinary cooperation to prosecutors, but the run-up to his sentencing hearing has exposed tensions over an FBI interview in which the former national security adviser lied about his Russian contacts.
Flynn's lawyers have suggested investigators discouraged him from having an attorney present during the January 2017 interview and never informed him it was a crime to lie to federal agents. Prosecutors responded that he doesn't need a warning that it's a crime to lie.
The insinuation of underhanded tactics was striking since special counsel Robert Mueller has praised Flynn's cooperation and recommended against prison time when he's sentenced Tuesday. The arguments spurred speculation that Flynn may be seeking sympathy from President Donald Trump or playing to a judge with a zero-tolerance view of government misconduct.
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