--- title: Michael Flynn Pleads Guilty to Lying to the FBI description: Michael Flynn released a statement accompanying his guilty plea in court Friday morning, saying he accepts responsibility for his actions canonical: https://time.com/5045202/michael-flynn-statement-guilty-plea-donald-trump/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-12-01T17:00:46.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T18:25:21.374Z article:section: Politics og:title: 'I Accept Full Responsibility.' Michael Flynn Pleads Guilty to Lying to the FBI og:description: Flynn said he is "working to set things right" og:url: https://time.com/5045202/michael-flynn-statement-guilty-plea-donald-trump/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt73622f99183d994a/6988f34cfb4eac2108894c63/michael-flynn-guilty-plea-lying-fbi.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3400 og:image:height: 1913 og:image:alt: Michael Flynn Is Charged As Mueller Intensifies Russia Probe og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 'I Accept Full Responsibility.' Michael Flynn Pleads Guilty to Lying to the FBI twitter:description: Flynn said he is "working to set things right" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt73622f99183d994a/6988f34cfb4eac2108894c63/michael-flynn-guilty-plea-lying-fbi.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'I Accept Full Responsibility.' Michael Flynn Pleads Guilty to Lying to the FBI > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Dec 1, 2017 5:00 PM UTC  Michael Flynn, former national security advisor, left, arrives at the U.S. Courthouse in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, Dec. 1, 2017. Michael Flynn, former national security advisor, left, arrives at the U.S. Courthouse in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, Dec. 1, 2017. Andrew Harre—Bloomberg /Getty Images  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Dec 1, 2017 5:00 PM UTC [Michael Flynn](http://time.com/5012230/who-is-michael-flynn/?utm%5Fcampaign=time&utm%5Fsource=twitter.com&utm%5Fmedium=social&xid=time%5Fsocialflow%5Ftwitter) released a statement accompanying his guilty plea in court Friday morning, saying he accepts responsibility for his actions. “After over 33 years of military service to our country, including nearly five years in combat away from my family, and then my decision to continue to serve the United States, it has been extraordinarily painful to endure these many months of false accusations of ‘treason’ and other outrageous acts,” Flynn said in a statement. “Such false accusations are contrary to everything I have ever done and stood for. But I recognize that the actions I acknowledged in court today were wrong, and, through my faith in God, I am working to set things right.” Flynn [pleaded guilty](http://time.com/5044709/michael-flynn-charged/) Dec. 1 to making false statements to the FBI, a charge brought by Robert Mueller’s special counsel investigation. Flynn is the [fourth person](http://time.com/5044879/donald-trump-aides-charged-investigation/?utm%5Fcampaign=time&utm%5Fsource=twitter.com&utm%5Fmedium=social&xid=time%5Fsocialflow%5Ftwitter) to be charged in the investigation, and said in his statement that he will cooperate with Mueller’s office. “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,” Flynn said. “I accept full responsibility for my actions.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5045202/michael-flynn-statement-guilty-plea-donald-trump/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5045202/michael-flynn-statement-guilty-plea-donald-trump/"},"headline":"'I Accept Full Responsibility.' 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