James Comey tweets 'let justice roll down like waters' after Michael Flynn pleads guilty

The former FBI director was fired by President Donald Trump in May

Former FBI director James Comey, seen here in Washington on March 1, 2016, was pushed out after Donald Trump urged him to let go a probe of Michael Flynn - who has now pleaded guilty ( REUTERS/Joshua Roberts)

Former FBI director James Comey has praised “justice” prevailing in response to news that Michael Flynn has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

“But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream,” Mr Comey tweeted amid news that Mr Flynn was now cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Mr Flynn pleaded guilty to making false statements about contacts he had in December with Russia's ambassador to the United States, Sergei Kislyak, during the transition period after Trump was elected and before he was sworn in. The charges carry a sentence of up to five years in prison.

Picked to be Donald Trump’s national security advisor, Mr Flynn survived for less than a month. He resigned after it became apparent that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with Mr Sergey Kislyak, an omission that former acting Attorney General Sally Yates warned could compromise Mr Flynn.

The revelation intensified questions about potential contacts between the Trump presidential campaign and the Russian government, with Mr Mueller's investigation looking into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, which American intelligence agencies believe was aimed at helping Mr Trump.

The White House said Mr Flynn's guilty plea implicated him alone.

“Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr. Flynn,” Ty Cobb, a White House attorney, said.

“The false statements involved mirror the false statements to White House officials which resulted in his resignation in February of this year,” Mr Cobb said, adding that the plea “clears the way for a prompt and reasonable conclusion” of Mr Mueller's probe.

Mr Comey and Mr Flynn men were pushed out of jobs with the Trump administration under markedly different but connected circumstances.

As head of the FBI, Mr Comey was originally tasked with leading the inquiry into the alleged election meddling, which Russia denies. The President cited “this Russia thing” as part of his rationale for his firing, undercutting previous statements from his administration that offered other justifications.

After losing his job, Mr Comey released notes from a meeting with Mr Trump in which the President urged him to “see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go”.

The apparent effort to have Mr Comey ease the investigation, combined with Mr Trump’s decision to fire Mr Comey, ultimately led to the appointment of Mr Mueller as special counsel — context that was likely on Mr Comey’s mind as he composed his tweet.

Mr Flynn said his decision to plead guilty and to cooperate with the investigation was “made in the best interests of my family and of our country.”

In a statement issued by the law firm representing him, Flynn also said it was “painful to endure” the “false accusations of 'treason' and other outrageous acts” over the past several months but that he recognized “that the actions I acknowledged in court today were wrong.”

Multiple former Trump campaign aides have now been charged in Mr Mueller’s inquiry, with Mr Flynn charged for making false statements to the FBI about his conversations with Russia. Former campaign aide George Papadopoulos also pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his aide Rick Gates have been charged with money laundering (they deny the allegations).