Federal judge schedules Flynn sentencing for Dec. 18

A federal judge on Wednesday scheduled the sentencing date for President Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn.

Flynn’s sentencing will take place on Dec. 18, more than a year after he initially pleaded guilty to federal law enforcement, according to the Associated Press.

Special counsel Robert Mueller on Monday asked Judge Emmet D. Sullivan, in a joint filing with Flynn’s defense attorney, to set a sentencing date. Mueller suggested Nov. 28 or seven business days after that. 

Mueller’s team previously asked to delay Flynn’s sentencing on four occasions, signaling that his cooperation was still needed in the special counsel’s ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. 

Last December, Flynn pleaded guilty to one count of lying to FBI agents and agreed to cooperate with Mueller’s investigation, which includes exploring any links between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

Flynn served on Trump’s campaign and briefly as the president’s national security adviser. He resigned from that position in February 2017, after it was revealed that he misled Vice President Pence and other administration officials about his contacts with then-Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

According to court filings, Flynn during a January 2017 interview lied to FBI investigators about his contacts with Kislyak.

Flynn’s lawyers indicated that their client was eager to be sentenced during a July court appearance. Mueller last asked the court to delay Flynn’s sentencing in late August, citing the status of the ongoing investigation.

Flynn likely faces a sentence of between zero and six months in prison and a fine between $500 and $9,500, according to sentencing guidelines.