White House counsel Don McGahn was interviewed by special counsel Robert Muller’s team just hours before former national security adviser Michael Flynn was charged with lying to the FBI, The Washington Post reported Saturday.
McGahn on Thursday morning became the latest Trump administration official interviewed in the special counsel’s ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. It was reported in September that McGahn was on a list of officials who could potentially be interviewed as witnesses.
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The top lawyer in the Trump administration was scheduled to return Friday for a second meeting, but was allowed to delay the appearance in order to assist the White House amid the fallout from Flynn’s indictment.
Flynn pleaded guilty on Friday to lying to the FBI, and announced in a statement that his actions were “wrong” and that he would comply with Mueller’s investigation.
“It has been extraordinarily painful to endure these many months of false accusations of ‘treason’ and other outrageous acts,” Flynn said in his statement.
“[T]he actions I acknowledged in court today were wrong, and, through my faith in God, I am working to set things right,” he added. “My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the Special Counsel’s Office reflect a decision I made in the best interests of my family and of our country.”
McGahn, along with former chief of staff Reince Priebus, hired his own lawyer in September as the special counsel’s investigation grew in scope.
The two are represented by William Burck, a partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP.