Flynn will reportedly implicate the President in contacts with the Russians

ABC News is reporting that former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to charges of lying to the FBI today, will testify that President Trump directed him to make contact with former Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about President Obama's sanctions against Russia for interfering with the election. Mr. Trump has denied doing such a thing and asked former FBI Director James Comey to go easy on Flynn in the aftermath of Flynn's dismissal as National Security Advisor.

Flynn was fired for lying to Vice-President Pence about the matter. Then-Acting Attorney General Sally Yates warned Mr. Trump that Gen. Flynn had been "compromised" by contact with the Russians.

Observers are startled by the fact that despite his exposure Gen. Flynn was only charged with one count of lying to the FBI, which raises speculation as to the extent of Flynn's potential testimony.

The president says that he isn't worried by this development. But if I was Vice-President Pence, I would be keeping the family Bible close at hand and practice raising his right hand.

Incidentally, since Trump supporters are making a great deal out of this, it should be pointed out that the erroneous ABC story which has received such publicity erred only in reporting that the contacts in question occurred during the campaign. In fact, they occurred after the election, when Mr. Trump was president-elect. While it's true that preliminary contacts between a president-elect's staff and foreign leaders, though always handled gingerly, are a routine matter, Flynn's discussion of the specific issue of the sanctions goes far beyond that, constituting actual negotiations with a foreign power- a violation of the Logan Act, which, again, Flynn will reportedly testify that he committed at Trump's personal order.