Flynn admits Trump team directed his Russian contacts

UPDATE: The Associated Press has confirmed the names of the senior members of President Donald Trump’s transition team who Michael Flynn said were directing him to contact Russian officials on Trump’s behalf. Court papers associated with Flynn’s guilty plea Friday did not name the senior officials, but AP reports they were Trump’s son-in-law and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner and former Deputy National Security Adviser KT McFarland, who is the president’s nominee for the ambassadorship to Singapore. AP said two former transition officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to publicly discuss the matter confirmed McFarland’s involvement. One of the officials confirmed Kushner’s involvement.

OUR EARLIER REPORT (12:14 p.m.): Former national security adviser Michael Flynn admitted Friday that members of President Donald Trump’s transition team directed his contact with Russian officials. Flynn pleaded guilty in federal court to lying to the FBI about his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. In a statement issued after Friday morning’s court hearing, Flynn said he opted for the plea deal “to set things right,” acting “in the best interests of my family and our country.” As part of the deal, Flynn will cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Trump fired Flynn earlier this year, claiming Flynn also lied to him about his connections with Russian officials. Friday’s revelations suggest that might not be true, although White House lawyer Ty Cobb said in a statement that Flynn’s plea doesn’t implicate “anyone other than Mr. Flynn.” U.S. stocks dropped sharply after news of Flynn’s plea broke, suggesting investors fear the possible political fallout. Flynn is the fourth person tied to the Trump campaign to face charges in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the election. He is the second person to enter a guilty plea and volunteer to cooperate with Mueller’s team. Foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos agreed to cooperate with Mueller earlier this year, a plea deal revealed last month. Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his business associate, Rick Gates, have pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from their interactions with the Russians.