Flynn's Former Deputy Appears To Contradict Herself On His Russia Contacts: Report

Sarah Ruiz-Grossman

K.T. McFarland, former deputy to former national security adviser Michael Flynn, appeared to contradict herself about Flynn’s communications with the former Russian ambassador, reports The New York Times.

McFarland told Congress in writing this summer that she was “not aware” of any communications between Flynn and then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

But in an email obtained by the Times that McFarland sent on Dec. 29, 2016 ― the day the Obama administration had authorized new sanctions against Russia ― she said that Flynn would talk to the Russian ambassador that evening.

The email from McFarland ― who was on Trump’s transition team, then served as deputy national security adviser until May and is currently awaiting confirmation as ambassador to Singapore ― adds another layer to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government to influence the 2016 election.

Flynn pleaded guilty on Friday to lying to the FBI about his conversations with Kislyak. Flynn struck a plea deal, indicating that he might be cooperating with Mueller in the investigation.

K.T. McFarland is nominated to be ambassador to Singapore. (Photo: Tom Williams via Getty Images)
K.T. McFarland is nominated to be ambassador to Singapore. (Photo: Tom Williams via Getty Images)

McFarland’s name has already come up in news on the Russia investigation. On Friday, multiple outlets reported that McFarland was the “senior official” mentioned in a crucial passage of the court documents filed by special counsel Robert Mueller.

According to the documents, Flynn made a call on Dec. 29 to a “senior official” on the transition team and “discussed the U.S. sanctions, including the potential impact of those sanctions on the incoming administration’s foreign policy goals.” Flynn then called Kislyak.

McFarland is not the first Trump administration official to misspeak about the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russian officials. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was forced to recuse himself from the Russia investigation after admitting that he had had meetings with Kislyak, contradicting his previous Senate testimony.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.