Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser, has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. Flynn’s lies involve phone calls he had with Russia’s former ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak.
November 11, 2016, Mike Pence became head of Trump’s transition team.
November 22, 2016, Flynn spoke with Kislyak about a United Nations Security Counsel vote that sought to condemn Israel’s decision to build more illegal settlements. According to reports, Flynn was told to call about the vote by Jared Kushner.
December 29, 2016, President Obama sanctioned Russia for interfering in the 2016 presidential election.
The Statement of the Offense indicates that on December 29, 2016 Flynn called someone identified as a senior member of the transition team. That person, who has been identified as KT McFarland, was meeting with other members of the transition team at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort when Flynn called. Flynn and McFarland discussed what Flynn should say to Kislyak about the sanctions and the effect they could have on Trump’s foreign policy. Immediately after the call, Flynn phoned Kislyak to tell him Russia should not retaliate for the sanctions. In a later call, Kislyak told Flynn Russia would moderate its response to the sanctions as a result of Flynn’s request.
December 30, 2016, Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, declined to retaliate against the United States for the sanctions imposed on Russia by Obama.
December 31, 2016, Trump praised Putin and called him smart.
January 15, 2017, Mike Pence appeared on Face The Nation and said Flynn’s conversations with Kislyak were about the holidays.
January 20, 2017, Trump was inaugurated.
January 24, 2017, Flynn lied to the FBI about his calls with Kislyak.
Later that week, Sally Yates (who was the acting attorney general) told the Trump administration Flynn had been compromised and could be blackmailed by the Russians.
February 9, 2017, The Washington Post reported that Flynn’s conversations with Kislyak dealt with the sanctions Obama put on Russia.
February 13, 2017, Flynn resigned his position as national security adviser.
February 14, 2017, Sean Spicer (press secretary at the time) lied by saying Trump fired Flynn.
Later that day, Trump encouraged former FBI director James Comey to stop investigating Flynn.
March 1, 2017, it was revealed that Attorney General Jeff Sessions lied when he was asked under oath about meetings with Russians.
March 2, 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation.
May 3, 2017, Comey told the Senate Judiciary Committee he was continuing to investigate possible connections between the Trump campaign and Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.
May 9, 2017, Trump fired Comey.
May 11, 2017, Trump told Lester Holt he fired Comey because of the Russia investigation.
May 17, 2017, Robert Mueller was appointed special counsel in charge of investigating Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.