A federal judge delivered a sharp rebuke and delayed sentencing of U.S. President Donald Trump’s first national-security adviser, Michael Flynn, who had pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents about his conversations with Russia’s ambassador.
Lawyers for Flynn asked on December 18 for a continuance that would allow him to continue cooperating in the investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into interactions between Trump associates and Russia officials.
A new sentencing date was not scheduled.
Flynn admitted to lying to FBI agents during a January 2017 meeting at the White House, just four days after Trump was inaugurated into office.
Three weeks after that White House meeting, Flynn was fired when more details emerged as to the timing and content of his conversations with the then-Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergei Kislyak.
Mueller's investigators have praised Flynn for cooperating with the Russia probe and even recommended no prison time for him.
During the December 18 hearing, Judge Emmet Sullivan lashed out at Flynn, saying: "I can't hide my disgust, my disdain" at his crime of lying to the FBI.
"Arguably, you sold your country out," Sullivan told Flynn.
Several of the people who have been prosecuted by Mueller have been charged with lying to federal agents, including Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who will be sentenced in March.
Flynn also faced questions about lobbying and involvement with Turkish-government connected businessmen.
Two of them, including one who was Flynn's business partner, were indicted by a federal jury on December 17 with charges including conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government.
