But in their sentencing submission, Flynn’s attorneys suggested he might have been fooled into lying to the FBI because he had not been warned in advance that doing so is a crime. The judge asked if he wanted to postpone the sentencing, or reconsider his plea. The judge similarly pressed Flynn’s attorneys, who confirmed Flynn stood by his plea. “Could he be charged with treason?” Sullivan asked special counsel prosecutor Brandon Van Grack. Reluctance to admit guilt, though, could have prompted the judge to tear up Flynn’s plea, or reduce the benefit he might have gotten from cooperating.

Source: Washington Post December 18, 2018 12:18 UTC