President Trump was told exactly what Flynn and the Russian ambassador discussed, Fox News reports

John Roberts reports on the Flynn affair

(Image credit: Twitter/@FoxNews)

published 17 February 2017

Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn appears to have lied to the FBI when they questioned him after President Trump's inauguration about discussing U.S. sanctions with the Russian ambassador to Washington in December, according to a report in The Washington Post. But on Thursday evening, Fox News chief White House correspondent John Roberts said that Flynn had truthfully recounted his discussions with the White House counsel and other members of the Trump administration. Roberts also confirmed earlier reports that Trump was informed about Flynn's conversation by other sources weeks before he asked for Flynn's resignation on Monday.

"The president was, in fact, fully briefed on the content of those conversations that Gen. Michael Flynn had with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, by people who would know what the content of those phone conversations was," Roberts told Bill O'Reilly, calling it exclusive information. The White House counsel's office also conducted an investigation, and "under repeated questioning," Roberts said, "Gen. Flynn, I'm told, had a full recollection of what he talked about with the Russian ambassador," telling both the White House counsel's office "and other people who talked to him."

Roberts did not say if one of those people was Vice President Mike Pence. Flynn, after denying that he and Kislyak had discussed sanctions, told The Washington Post he couldn't recall if that subject had come up, Roberts reminded Fox News viewers, strongly suggesting that Flynn was not telling the truth.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.