Mueller declares that the cooperation of former Trump adviser, Flynn, is "over"

WASHINGTON / NEW YORK (Reuters) – Michael Flynn, a former national security advisor to President Donald Trump, has completed his cooperation with the Special Adviser on Russia's investigation, although he is still involved in another federal investigation. according to a file filed Tuesday.

The disclosure took place in the context of a complaint filed jointly by Flynn's lawyers and the office of the special advocate Robert Mueller, in which they asked for a new delay in the determination of Flynn's sentence, citing his continued cooperation with the other federal inquiry.

The other investigation concerns prosecutions by East Virginia District Prosecutors (EDVA) against former Flynn business partner Bijan Rafiekian for unregistered lobbying on behalf of Turkey. Rafiekian pleaded not guilty and Flynn could be a witness at a trial that is scheduled to open in July.

"Although the defendant remains in a position to cooperate with the law enforcement authorities and can testify in the EDVA case whether to proceed with a trial, the government believes that its cooperation is otherwise complete," Mueller writes in his case.

This comment is the latest sign that Mueller may complete his 22 months of research on the links between Russia and Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

The offices of Flynn and Mueller were received on 13 March to inform US District Judge Emmet Sullivan about Flynn's cooperation. The deadline was December, when Sullivan filed suit against Flynn, including suggesting that he may have committed treason and recommending that Flynn be sentenced until his cooperation is complete. and that he can get full credit.

At Tuesday's filing, Flynn's lawyers asked to report back to Sullivan in 90 days.

Flynn has been working with Mueller since December 2017, after pleading guilty and lied to FBI agents about his conversations with Sergei Kislyak, then Russia's ambassador to Washington at the end of 2016, about US sanctions imposed in Moscow. by the administration of Trump's Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama. The conversations took place between Trump's election victory in November 2016 and his inauguration in January 2017.

The indictment against Rafician accused him of working with Turkish government officials on a secret project to return to Turkey the Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, exiled in Pennsylvania, all without being registered as lobbyist, as required by law.

Flynn worked with Rafiekian, a former director of the US Export and Import Bank, on the project.